Don't think, just do it
by I am the Girl Who Lived
Summary: Max Fang and Iggy go to Hogwarts and meet Harry Ron and Hermione They all become friends and get involved in things they should have left alone What will happen? You'll have to read to find out 1st fanfic nd i suck at summarys so please read it!
1. Chapter 1

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_H_ey!_ This is my first fanfiction, so please tell me what you think! This is a Maximum Ride and Harry Potter crossover. The Harry Potter characters are the same age as they are in the first book, but Max, Fang, Iggy are 11, Nudge is eight, Gazzy is five, __and Angel is three (hehe it took me a while to do that maths). Jeb is still living with them_**...**_ So, yeah, thats all, so enjoy the story! :D  
><em>**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived _**

**_Max's POV_**

I was woken up on the morning of my eleventh bithday by angry yelling coming from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes, and sat up. It seems as though Jeb found out about Iggy and Gazzy blowing up his car...again. This was the third time in four months that they blew up his car, and it looked like Jeb had finally lost it. Jeb was probably going to buy another car tomorrow. Its not the only thing they've blown up, I thought as I started looking around in my wardrobe for something to wear. They've blown up the microwave, half of the bathroom, the treehouse that was outside, the garage, most of the kitchen, and Fang's bedroom (while he was sleeping in there). He was alright, but it took weeks for his eyebrows and most of his hair to grow back. I shook my head as I realised that Gazzy did all this and he's only five, and Iggy's the one that showed him, and Iggy was only turning eleven in October.

After I got dressed in blue jeans and a plain red top, I walked into the kitchen. Eight year old Nudge and three year old Angel were both sitting on the couch in the conjoined sitting room, their shoulders shaking with laughter. Ten year old Fang, who was turning eleven in two weeks, was sitting on the armchair with a small grin on his face, his dark hair covering his black eyes. I smiled at them and walked over to where Jeb was still shouting at Iggy and Gazzy, who looked very pleased with themselves. Jeb was red in the face from shouting.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys not to blow stuff up?" I said loudly and Jeb stopped shouting as soon as he saw me and gave me a small smile. Iggy and Gazzy beamed at me and gave me big hugs and shouted "Happy birthday Max!" so loud that I thought I had gone deaf. One thing I never understood about Iggy was how he knew where everything was, even though he was blind.

I looked up at Jeb and beamed. He was the reason we were all here, not back at the place where we were raised. We were all raised in a lab that we called the School, where we were kept in cages and we were experimented on. The six of us all had wings. Yeah, you heard me, _wings._ We could all fly and even though Jeb was the only wingless one in the house, he told us what we had to do to be able to fly, and we were all very good at it. Well, seeing as Angel was three years old, she hasn't really tried properly, but she could hover a few feet off the ground for a few minutes before getting scared.

We never talked about what happened to us at the school. It was too painful.

Jeb walked quickly over to me and pulled me into a strong hug. "Happy birthday sweetheart. I'm sorry if my shouting woke you up Max, but I actually liked that car more then the others. Oh well, I'll go buy another one tomorrow if thats alright with you?" he asked and I nodded, still smiling. I always thought of Jeb as a father, and I always wish that, in some weird way, he really is my real Dad. You see, none of us know if we were born to real parents, or if were all test-tube babies. I turned around and got more hugs from Nudge and Angel, and a smile from Fang, which is probably all I'm gonna get from him. Seriously, sometimes he's like a freaking brick wall.

* * *

><p>"Max! Its time for you to open your presents! Come on quick! And theres someone here to see you, Fang and Iggy!" Jeb shouted from outside. He told us half and hour ago that he had to go outside for my present. I wondered who he would bring to the house. Normally, he doesn't let anyone know about us. It's safer for us, in case the whitecoats are still looking for us. We all got up and walked slowly over to the door, Angel holding my hand,and I looked back at the rest of the flock and I saw that they were all prepared for a fight and my heart swelled with pride. Even though we have Jeb looking after us, the flock consider me as the leader.<p>

When we reached the back door, I held up my free hand to signel them to wait. I opened the door slowly and saw Jeb standing by the burnt ruins of our old treehouse, and he was talking to someone who looked very odd.

He had waist length white hair, a long white beard and moustache. He was wearing light blue robes and buckled boots. His eyes were blue and twinkling behind half-moon glasses as he smiled at me and the flock. We weren't taken aback by this mans strange appearance, as we were freaks ourselves. Jeb always got furious with us whenever he heard us saying that we were freaks. He always told us that we were special and unique, but we still knew that we were freaks...

I was drawn away from my thoughts as I heard Jeb begin to speak. "Kids, this is Professor Albus Dumbledore. He is the Headmaster of a school in England, and he's here to talk to Max, Iggy and Fang about becoming students there."

"Why only Max, Fang and Iggy? Why can't we go too? I would love to go to England! I hear its amazing there! What part of England is the school in? If Max and Fang and Iggy get to go to the school, what are we going to do? Are we staying here or are we going to have to move to England? Are you actually from England, Professor? That's really cool! So-" Nudge's rant was ended when I covered her mouth with my hand. Everyone smiled gratefully at me, all though Iggy was actually smiling at the tree over my shoulder but whatever.

"Yes Nudge, I am from England, but I think it would be best if we discussed the rest inside, don't you Mr. Batchelder?" Dumbledore said and Jeb nodded and we all started walking inside. Angel smiled and took her hand from mine and walked over to Dumbledore. She took his hand in hers and kept walking. He looked mildly surprised, but happy. Jeb was starting to think that Angel could read minds, and that we would all get different powers. Gazzy was starting to mimic every noise to almost perfection. No one else has shown any signs of powers.

When we went inside, Jeb and Dumbledore sat down on the couch, but the flock stayed in the kitchen, except for Angel who was sitting next to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore reached inside his robes and pulled out three envelops. He stood up and walked over to me Fang and Iggy and handed us each an envelop. Written on mine was:

**_Miss M. Ride_**

**_The E house, Colorado_**

**_America_**

**_The second biggest bedroom in the house_**

I looked at Fang, and by his face, I knew that the envelop knew where he slept too. Jeb had stood up and was holding Iggy's one. Jeb was going to have to read it out loud to Iggy.

"All the answers are in these envelops. I will of course be more then delighted to answer any questions you may have after you three have read the letters. And any questions you three may have," Dumbledore continued kindly to the other three in the flock. When he looked at Angel, she beamed at him and you could clearly see the missing tooth she had.

Before any of us had opened the letters, Dumbledore turned to Jeb and asked, " I'm assuming you haven't told these children about their heritage?" Jeb shook his head and replied, "I knew about Max but not the others. I was actually going to tell her tonight, but then you showed up and that made everything much easier." Dumbledore laughed and sat back down on the couch. He pulled Angel onto his lap and said, "You know Angel, you remind me a lot of my little sister." Angel giggled and looked at me, then to the envelop, as if begging me to open it. But my mind was going fifty miles an hour. Jeb knew what about me? Did these letters have anything to do with our parents? If so, why was the Headmaster of a school in England giving them to us?

I looked at Fang and we both nodded. I tapped Iggy's hand twice and then we all opened our letters.

It was written on parchment and the ink was green. The envelop was quite thick, so I knew there must be more then one page. I opened the letter and began to read. **_(AN: very dramatic moment there :D ) _**

**_Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry_**

**_Headmaster Albus Dumbledore  
>(Order of Merlin, First class, Grand sorcerer, Chief. Warlock,<br>Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_**

******_Dear Miss Ride_**

**_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later then July 31._**

******_Yours Sincerely,_**

******_Minerva McGonagall_**

**_Deputy Headmistress_**

I looked up at Dumbledore. He looked like he was having the time of his life. I opened my mouth to ask him the hundreds of questions that were buzzing through my mind, but he held up a long finger to his lips and I closed my mouth. Normally I would of asked anyway, because according to Iggy I have an attitude problem, but there was something about Dumbledore that made me respect him, so I kept my mouth shut. I looked over my shoulder to see Fang still reading his, and Iggy was listening very hard to Jeb, who was speaking so low I couldn't even hear him, and we all had enhanced hearing. After a few seconds (which felt like hours) they had finished, but before any of us could say anything, Dumbledore held up his hand and said "Read the other piece of parchment, I'll answer your questions then."

I opened the second piece of parchment and started reading that one as well. This was was much longer then the first.

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry**_

**_Uniform:  
>First year students will require:<br>1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
>2. one plain pointed hat (black) for day wear<br>3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
>4. One winter cloak (black with silver fastenings)<em>**

**_Set Books  
>All Students should have a copy of the following:<br>The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk  
>A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot<br>Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
>A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch<br>One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllis Spore  
>Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger<br>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
>The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble<em>**

**_Other Equipment  
>1 wand<br>1 cauldron (pewter standard size 2)  
>1 set of glass or crystal phials<br>1 telescope  
>1 set of brass scales<em>**

**_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad._**

**_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_**

I looked up once more. A wand? A cauldron? A broomstick? This must be a joke...What if this was some trick to get us all back_ there._ I will never let them take me or the flock or Jeb. We were never going back there. Dumbledore must of guessed what I was thinking because he quickly said, "This is not a joke. I am a wizard, as are Fang and Iggy, and Max, your a witch. Now you three," he said pointing at Nudge, Gazzy and Angel, "your the same. Gazzy your a wizard, Nudge and Angel your witches. The reason your not going to Hogwarts is because your not old enough. Max Fang and Iggy are."

"Prove it," I said coldly and the twinkle left Dumbledore's eyes for a moment before he pulled a stick out of his robes. "How are you going to prove anything with a stick?" I asked and Jeb gave me a look that I completley ignored.

Dumbledore smiled and then he waved his wand and said something that sounded like "_Orchideous" _and a bunch of flowers came out of the stick.

"This isn't just a stick, Max. It's my wand. Do you believe me?" he asked and before I could answer, Angel ran over and shouted, "He's not lying Max! I heard what he was thinking! He's not lying! He really is a wizard, and your really a witch!" I didn't know why, but I really did believe them. He pulled the flowers out and handed them to me and whispered "Happy birthday,"

After that, he had a private word with Jeb, then he did more spells, had some birthday cake and left after a loud chorus of "Happy birthday!"

"Alright, I want everyone in bed right now. We have a big day tomorrow," said Jeb as he smiled at all of us.

"Why? Where are we going?" I asked, hoping it was something to do with magic.

"Were going to Diagon Alley."

**_Ok, so that was my 1st chapter. What do you think? i know its kinda short and not really exiting but i swear more will happen as the story goes along. please review and tell me what you think! _**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived_**


	2. Going to Diagon Alley

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Ok, heres the second chapter. This is where they go to Diagon Alley to get everything, so on with the chapter!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived_**

**_Disclaimer:I sadly own nothing, it all belongs to the brilliant minds of J.K Rowling and James Patterson_**

_**Max's POV**_

Everyone was standing in the sitting room, waiting for Jeb. After breakfast, he had gone outside and said that he would back soon. When Iggy has asked him what he was doing, Jeb just said he was waiting for someone. Angel was entertaining everyone by saying out loud what everyone was thinking, but after she had said that Iggy was planning on using my brand new black converse (my present from Jeb, he gave them to me before I went to sleep the night before) for a bomb, we heard the front door opening. I was glaring at Iggy, but it was a wasted effort.

Jeb walked into the room and behind him came the biggest man I have ever seen in my life. His head was brushing against the ceiling. He had a busy, messy black beard and a equally messy mane of black hair. His beetle black eyes were crinkeled as he gave us all a warm smile. "Hello, kids. Me names Rubeus Hagrid, but yeh can jus' call me Hagrid, ev'ryone does. I'm the keeper of keys an' grounds at Hogwarts. Should we get goin' then, Mr. Batchelder?"

"Of course, Hagrid. Are you six ready? Angel, your alright?" Angel nodded and held on to Fang's hand. "Where is Diagon Alley?" Iggy asked as Hagrid started looking for something he had in his coat pocket. "Its in London," Jeb answered and we all frowned. "And how in the name of apples are we getting to London?" Iggy countered and Hagrid straightened up and we all saw that he was holding in one hand, a flowery pink umbrella, and in the other he had a cup of powder.

Gazzy was eyeing the umbrella with interest and he asked, "Is it raining in London?" Hagrid chuckled and shook his head. "No, 's not raining, but I but I'm not aloud ter do magic, so I gotta use this ruddy thin'"

"Why aren't you aloud to use magic?" I asked curiously.

For a moment, Hagrid's kind face became sad, but he smiled again and the sadness was gone. "Er.. I got expelled in me third year. Anyway, we bes' be off. Now, were goin' to be usin Floo Powder. Yer bes' to keep yer shoulders in by yer sides." He walked over to the fireplace while the flock exchanged very confused looks. How the hell was a fireplace going to take us all to London?

Hagrid tapped the fireplace with the flowery pink umbrella, and we all watched, stunned, as the fireplace grew big enough for Hagrid to stand in. He turned back to us. "I'd appreciate it of yeh didn' mention this to anyone at Hogwarts. Dumbledore said I could use it ter get ye all ter Diagon Alley, but I shouldn' be usin magic at all." We all nodded and he grinned.

Then, he picked out a gigantic fist full of the powder in the cup and threw in into the fireplace. As soon as they touched the bottom of the fireplace, emerald flames erupted in the fireplace. I looked around at everyone. Nudge looked interested but scared, Angel looked like she was having the best day of her life (well, she probably was) and Gazzy looked fascinated, and so did Iggy as soon as Fang had finished telling him what happened. Fang's face stayed as emotionless as always, but I could tell he found all this magic brilliant like I did. Jeb looked terrified and confused. He walked in front of us and looked up at Hagrid.

"What is Floo Powder, Hagrid?"

"Er, nothin' really, . All yeh have ter do is take some of the floo powder, stand in the fireplace, and say clearly where it is yeh wan' ter go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We have to stand in the fireplace? With that weird fire burning?" I asked, my stomach doing flips with nerves. I didn't normally get nervous, but this was something I have heard about, let alone done it. Hagrid nodded and said simply, "Yup."

I stood up and walked over to the fire. "Well, alright then. What exactly do we have to say?" I asked, looking up at Hagrid. "Well, 's quite simple, really. I 'spect yeh will be able ter do it. Don' burn yeh or nothin'. Yeh're all safe. Yeh jus' say `The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley.` Ev'ryone understand? Good, good... Whos gonna go firs'?"

No one stepped forward.

"Come on! I told yeh, it don' burn, or hurt yeh or nothin'. Yeh'll be safe."

I took a deep breath and walked over to Hagrid, who held the cup full of Floo powder out eagerly. I took some in my hands and walked towards the fire.

"`Member, keep yer shoulders in, an' close yer eyes if yeh have ter. Good luck, Max," Hagrid said cheerfully and I walked gingerly into the emerald flames. Hagrid was right, it didn't hurt at all. In fact, there was a slight tickling feeling to it.

I raised up the hand full of powder, threw it on the fireplace and yelld, "The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley!"

It happened so fast, I couldn't remember how it started. All of a sudden, I was spinning and spinning around, looking out at different houses through their fireplace. Then as soon as it started, it was over. I felt myself falling, and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor in some grubby pub. The man behind the bar came over and helped me up. He was on old toothless wizard. "Ah you must be one of the children Hagrid is fetching, am I right dear?" I nodded and quickly moved out of the way as Gazzy came hurtling out of the fireplace. "That was AWESOME!" he yelled to the floor. He had a lot of dirt and ashes on his face, and I realised I must do as well. I helped Gazzy up, and in a few seconds, Fang shot out, but being the Mr Perfect that he is he actually managed to stay on his feet. I glared at him and he smiled smugly.

After five minutes everyone was standing on the grimy floor. Hagrid's entrance had been by far the best. He fell out of the fireplace, stumbled to stay upright, and ended up falling into the nearest table, smashing it to pieces. We were still laughing about it as we made our way out of the pub and into a small little alley way. Hagrid took out the pink mbrella again and tapped some od the bricks on the wall.

Then, the wall opened into an archway.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Hagrid said happily.

Diagon Alley was a cobbled street with all different kinds of shops. There were shops selling robes, telescopes, windows stacked full of bats spleen and eels' eyes, piles of books and quils, rolls of parchment, potion bottles, and even tings I couldn't identify. But the most impressive building by far was the one on the far end of the street. It towered over all the other shops. I twas a snowy-white building with bronze doors. "Where are going first Hagrid?" asked Iggy, who had his finger in the loop of my jeans. I could tell he was concentrating hard, listening to all the sounds so he could a mental map of the street.

"Gringotts firs'. Tha's the bank, there," Hagrid pointed to the snowy white building and we all started strolling towards it. It was a hot day, and the sun was blaring down on my neck.

"Yeh have your Muggle money, don' yeh, ?" Hagrid asked. "Muggle? Whats Muggle?" I asked. "Sorry, I keep forgettin how much yeh actually know. A Muggle is a person tha' can' do magic. Mr. Bathelder here, is a Muggle," Hagrid explained and we all nodded.

We reached the bronze doors. Written on the doors was:

**_"Enter, stranger, but take heed  
>Of what awaits the sin of greed<br>For those who take, but do not earn,  
>Must pay most dearly in their turn.<br>So if you seek beneath our floors  
>A treasure that was never yours,<br>Thief, you have been warned, beware  
>Of finding more than treasure there."<em>**

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob this place. Ain't no safer place-well except Hogwarts o' course. Some even say tha' there's dragons guardin' some of the vaults." He said the word dragon with what sounded like longing. "What? Dragons? There real?" Nudge said, and bless her heart she kept it short. Hagrid just nodded and procceded to the doors.

On either side of the doors, stood two of the oddest creatures I have ever seen. And I saw a lot of horrible creatures back at the school. "What are they?" Nudge whispered when we passed through them doors. "Goblins. They can be nasty little buggers when they wanna be, so bes' stay close."

Dragons? Goblins? This was all becoming too much, but I was loving every minutes of it. This was the best thing that has ever happened to us since Jeb took us from the School.

After twenty minutes, we were standing outside Gringotts. Hagrid was handing out the money and explaining what they were. "The gold ones are called Galleons, the silver ones are Sickles and the bronze ones are Knuts. Now, there are 17 Sickles in a Galleon, an' 29 Knuts in a Sickle. Ev'ryone got that?" We nodded and split in to two groups. Jeb brought the younger three for a look around at the shops and Hagrid took Fang iggy and I to get our school supplies.

We went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions first. We were going to get our uniform here. I was horrified when Madam Malkin handed me a skirt. I have to wear a skirt all yeat! This was going to be torture.

* * *

><p>We had bought everything, except for wands. This is what I was looking forward to. We entered Ollivanders Wand Shop. There was no one there, but Hagrid told us to wait. After a few minutes, an old wizard appeared behind the counter. We all jumped minus Iggy, who didn't know what was going on but the old man just laughed. He had grey hair and intelligent grey eyes. He came across to me as spooky.<p>

"I am Mr. Ollivander. Now, who would like to go first?" None of us moved, so I pushed Fang forward. He glared at me and I smiled sweetly. did some odd mesurments, then handed him a wand and told him to wave it. But apparently, it was the wrong one for him, because Ollivander snatched it back and gave him another one. This time, red and gold sparks flew from the end and Ollivander said, "Yes! Twelve inches, elm, dragonheartstring! Very useful for Charms class."

Fang grinned and walked back next to me as Iggy walked up to the counter slowly. I'm guessing he counted Fang's footsteps because he stopped right in front of the counter. Unlike Fang, Iggy got his wand on the first try. Ten inches, yew, unicorn tail. Fang pushed me forward and . "Hold out your wand arm dear," he said and I slowly lifted my left hand. I was left handed, so I guess it was the same thing. He measured my arm, my legs, my wasit, my nostrils (don't know why) then, when he was finished, handed me a wand.

I felt like I had tried every wand in the shop. The boxes were mounted high on the counter and I was getting nervous that I would never get one. Then, finally, I got one that shot sparks out the end. "Brilliant! Yes, yes very good. But curious, very curious..."

I frowned and looked up. "Whats curious?" I asked.

"I remember every wand I have ver sold, Miss Ride. It just so happens that the phoenix feather is in your wand gave two others. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand, when one of its brothers became the wand of the most evil wizard in existence, and the other is still in this shop, although I have a fair idea of who might get that one," he said and winked at Hagrid.

We payed and left to find the others. They were sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. There were three cages (shudder) with owls in them. There was a black one, a grey one and a brown one with white streaks. Jeb smiled at us and stood up. He handed the black one to Fang (shocker), gave the grey one to Iggy and passed the brown one with the white streaks to me. I beamed and hugged Jeb so tight I thought I broke his back. I placed the cage on the table and looked at the owl. I chose a name almost straight away. "I'm going to call you Freedom."

* * *

><p>We got home very late that night. We stayed at Diagon Alley for hours, looking at all the shops. My favorite by far was Quality Quidditch Supplies. I really wanted to buy the broomstick in the window, the Nimbus two thousand, especcily after I heard another boy saying it was the fastest model yet. But sadly, Jeb dragged me away and I was sulking about it until he bought me a chocolate chip cookie ice cream. That man knew me so well.<p>

Fang chose the name Stygian for his owl, as it was another name for darkness (emo much?) Iggy called his owl Grenade, because he's a freaking pyro.

We said goodbye to Hagrid, and I was really looking forward to seeing him again at school. He invited us all back to his hut on the Friday of term. We used the Floo Powder to get home, and I ended up doing another face-plant on the floor. We ate something small, then I went to put all my new things away. I let Freedom out of his cage so he could go hunting and left my window open and went into bed.

My last thought before I fell asleep was that I had to wear a freaking_ skirt_ for the school year. This is going to be fun...

**HEY! so what did you think of the chapter? sorry its short but its nearly 12 at night and im really tierd. the next chapter will be long, promise! :)i'll put pictures of their owls on my profile if anyone wants to see them. Freedom is a male owl, Fangs owl is female and iggys is a male. ill try and update tomorrow. **

**REVIEW! **

**-_ I am The Girl Who Lived_**

**_ xxx_**


	3. The Hogwarts Express

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey, so heres chapter three and its where they go on the hogwarts express (if the title didnt give that away)_**

**_about the last chapter, did i do Hagrid's accent alright? i think i messed it up completely but oh well, its done now! Enjoy the chapter, and I promise it will be longer then the first two chapters ;)_**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the owls, and the plot _**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived_**

**_Max's POV_**

The next month went by fast. Nothing much happened except for Fang's birthday. Before any of us knew it, Jeb was telling us he had bought a new house in London and that we would moving in that night. It was a week before the 1st of September, and Fang Iggy and I were getting exited. I had read some of the new books and I couldn't believe it, but I actually couldn't wait until we went to school. I knew all about Hogwarts, and I really hoped that I would be in Gryffindor. If I was in Slytherin, I think I'd leave.

We arrived at the new house and I instantly fell in love with it. It was isolated, and there was loads of trees. It was perfect for flying and fighting practice. The house itself was simple. We went inside and Jeb showed us our rooms. Mine was big enough, and the walls were painted blue. I unpacked everything but my school stuff and went to the kitchen for dinner.

* * *

><p>The first of September came and after eating a big breakfast we piled into Jeb's new car. After half an hour we were at the train station and Angel started crying. I picked her up and hugged her as tight as I could. "We won't be gone long, Ange. We'll send letter every day, and we'll be back before you know it," I said and she threw her skinny arms around my neck. "I love you Maxie. I'm going to miss you a lot!"<p>

I love you too Angel, and I'm going to miss you more. I'm going to miss all of you," I added as I hugged Nudge and Gazzy and Jeb. "Come on or else you'll miss the train," Jeb said and rushed us into the station.

"Which platform is the train on, Jeb?" Fang asked and we all stared at him. He barley talks and he has never asked a question. He saw us all staring and shrugged. "What? I'm curious," he said and I smiled.

"Um, all it says on your ticket is that the train leaves at eleven, from platform... Well this can't be right," Jeb muttered to himself and took out the other two tickets. He looked very confused and flustered when he handed them to us. "It says to get the train from platform nine and three-quarters. Theres no such thing as platform nine and three-quarters."

I looked at the clock and saw that we had five minutes to get on the train. I started panicking, but relaxed slightly when I heard a kind voice ask, "Are you lot lost?" I turned around and saw an old lady carrying a red handbag and wearing a stuffed vulture on her hat. "Er... Were looking for platform nine and three-quarters?" Jeb asked, as if afraid that this women would think he was insane. "I knew these children were going to Hogwarts! Who else would be walking around with owls? I just left my grandson, Neville on the train. I would of stayed to see him off but I have somewhere to go that couldn't wait.

Now, getting onto the platform is very easy to do. All you have to do is walk straight through the wall between platforms nice and ten. Its very easy. Good luck and goodbye." And with that, she walked away.

"Did I hear her right? She told us to walk through the wall?" I said, thinking she must have been messing with us. Jeb nodded slowly and said, "I probably won't be able to get through, seeing as I'm a Muggle. Now, I have something to tell you. Dumbledore knows about your wings. He's telling the other staff and he said that they can be trusted. While your there, your going under different names. Max, your keeping your full name, but Fang, your last name is Martinez, and Iggy your last name is Griffiths. Is that alright? Ok, so who's going to go first?"

Fang, Iggy and I stared at him as if he had just grown another head. "Max wants to go first!" Fang said and pushed me forward. I knew it was payback from the wand shop. I was too nervous to glare at him, so I just walked forward slowly. I turned around and said, " I love you guys! I'll miss you!" and I kept walking. I was close to the wall... Soon I was going to crash into it... It was so close... My trolley touched the wall and... Nothing. I went straight through. And it was amazing.

There was a scarlet steam engine and the platform was full of people. I looked behind me and saw Fang come through with Iggy right behind him. We started looking for empty compartments. We passed kids who were saying goodbye to their familys, and most of the compartments were already full. By the time we found one where the three of us could sit, the train had actually started moving. There was two boys in there and they looked like they were starting their first year as well. One was tall with ginger hair and a big nose, the other was rather small and had untidy black hair and emerald green eyes which were behind round glasses, which appeared to have tape holding it together at the nose. I always felt uncomfortable around new people incase they noticed my wings, but I checked if they covered before I opened the door. The boy's seemed to be talking about the classes. They stopped talking and I said, "Sorry, are these seats taken? None of the other compartments are free?" The black haired boy nodded and the ginger said, "Of course, come in."

We went in and put our trunks up on the space on the top. I noticed that over the black haired boy's head was another owl in a cage, but this was a beautiful snowy white. We sat down and it got really awkward. "I'm Harry Potter," said the black haired boy. I smiled and turned to the ginger. "I'm Ron Weasley." "It's nice to meet you. I'm Max Ride."

"I'm Iggy Griffiths."

"Fang Martinez."  
>We continued talking for about an hour, and I was really started to like these boys. There were nice and funny, and when an old lady with a trolley full of sweets came around, Harry practicley bought the whole thing. We kept on talking, all of us but Fang, who was eating quietly in the corner. I found out that Ron had five brothers and one sister, and that they were poor. Harry grew up with Muggles because his parents died, but he didn't say much more then that. We told him we were all adopted because our parents were dead as well. It was the best thing we could come up with. They wanted to know why Iggy was blind, but he just said he couldn't remember what happened, but that was a lie. Back at the School, they tried to give Iggy night vision but tit went wrong and now he's blind.<p>

After I ate one of the Bertie Botts Every-Flavour Beans that turned out to be lemon flavour, the door to our compartment opened. A round-faced boy who was looking tearful came in. "Sorry, have you seen a toad anywhere?" The boys shook there heads and I said, "Sorry we haven't. But I'm sure it will turn up somewhere." He wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me! Well.. if you see him..." And with that, he left.

"Don't know what he's so bothered about,"said Ron," If I brought a toad, I'd lose it as quickly as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers so I cant really say anything," he indicated to the snoozing rat that was on his lap. "At least you lot have got owls!" he said when we all laughed. Ron took his wand out of his bag and said, "My brother gave me a spell to turn Scabbers yellow, do you want to see?" We all nodded eagerly. Ron's whole family was magic so he grew up seeing it all the time. But the rest of us didn't and I couldn't wait to see more.

Just as he raised his wand, the compartment door opened, and a girl with bushy brown hair, brown eyes and rather large front teeth stepped in.

"Have any of you seen a toad? Neville's lost his." So the round-faced boy was the old woman's grandson! I ought to tell him to thank her for me. We all shook our heads, and the girl's eyes landed on the wand in Ron's hand. "Are you doing magic? Lets see then."

Ron cleared his throat and said, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." He waved his wand, but nothing happened. The rat stayed grey and asleep. After this happened, the girl went into a very fast speech and the only bit I heard was the last part-her name. She said her name was Hermione Granger. She looked around at everyone. "I'm Max Ride," I said and Hermione smiled. Everyone else introduced themselves, and when Harry said his name, Hermione said, "Really? I've read all about you, your in _Modern Magical History _and _The rise and fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." _ This was clearly news to Harry, but he didn't say anything else. Hermione then went on about the different houses, then left.

"I hope I'm not in same house as her," Ron said and I turned to him, frowning. "She wasn't that bad, Anyway, Harry, how come your in all them books? What do you have to do with the Dark Arts?" Harry went slightly red and answered, "Um... It's complicated." "I'm sure we can keep up," said Iggy.

"Well, when I was a baby, one of the darkest wizards ever called Voldemort," Ron whimpered when Harry said the name, " killed my parents. He tried to kill me but he couldn't. It destroyed him and no one knows what happened to him after that. People think he's dead, and now I'm famous for it because `I am the Boy Who Lived`. That's why I have this," Harry finished by lifting up his fringe and I saw a scar in the shape of lightning. "That's why you have what?" Iggy asked, sounding very curious. "Oh, sorry Iggy, I have a scar on my forehead."  
>"Why wasn't he able to kill you if you were only a baby?" I asked and Harry shrugged. "No one knows," he was about to say something else when the door opened again. This time there was three boys standing in the door way. The one in the front had a pale pointed face, and white blonde hair. The other two looked liked body guards standing on either side of him with there arms crossed. They were both huge, but I bet me Fang and Iggy could take them. "Well, well, well, its true then. Harry Potter is going to Hogwarts," the boy in the middle drawled. "This is Crabbe and Goyle," he indicated to the two boys on either side of him. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron and I both snorted at the boys name, but we hide it with coughs. Malfoy turned to Ron, ignoring me. "You think my names funny do you. My father told me all about the Weasleys, and how they all have red hair, freckles and more children then they can afford," he turned to look at me and said while frowning, "And I don't know who you are..." But before I could say anything, he turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out that my family is better then the Weasley's, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort of people." He held out his hand for Harry to shake, but Harry didn't take it. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks, " he said coolly.<p>

"You should be careful, Potter. Unless your nicer, you'll end up like your parents. You hang around with people like the Weasleys, this lot," he indicated to me Fang and Iggy, "and Hagrid, it'll rub off on you."

Everyone in the compartment stood up. "If you don't get out right now the three of you are going out the window," I said and I saw a flicker of fear in Malfoys eyes. "We don't feel like leaving yet, do we?" Malfoy said and Crabbe and Goyle both laughed. I stepped closer and said, "Get out or I swear to God I will hit you so hard you'll forget your own name."  
>"Max..." said Harry but I ignored him. Malfoy looked at me and seemed to realise that I would hit him. "Lets go, no one good in here anyway."<p>

After they left, we all changed into our robes and after a while the train started slowing down. A voice echoed around the train. "We will be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." My stomach lurched with nerves. I looked around at the boy's and they all seemed to look a shade paler. The train came to a stop and we all climbed out onto the platform. We saw a lamp bobbing over head and I heard the shout of the familiar voice. "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! Alright, yeh lot?"  
>Hagrid smiled at us over the crowd. "How do you know Hagrid?" Harry and I asked each other at the same time. We laughed and I said "He's the one that brought all of us to Diagon Alley." "He brought me to Diagon Alley too!" said Harry. "Cool. So what houses do you think you guys will be in?" I asked. Harry shrugged but Ron said. "Gryffindor probably, thats where my whole family have been. What about you guys?"<p>

Fang and Iggy both shrugged and I said, "Were not sure, but I hope I'm in Gryffindor."

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec'" Hagrid called back. Everyone (but Fang) said, "Oooooohh!"

It was beautiful. On the other side of a vast lake on top of a mountain was a huge castle with loads of towers and turrets. "No more 'n four ter a bout," Hagrid shouted and I climbed into a boat with Fang and Iggy and Hermione climbed in after us. I smiled at her and she smiled back. I saw Harry and Ron go into a boat next to us and they were joined by Neville and a sandy-haired boy. Hagrid was in the boat in front of us on his own. "Everyone in?" he shouted. "Right then-FORWARD!" The boats started drifting across the glassy lake. Fang was describing everything for Iggy. Hermione, who was looking very confused, asked, "Why is Fang describing everything to Iggy?" I turned to her and whispered in her ear so that the others couldn't hear. Iggy was still a bit sensitive about the blind thing. "Well, Iggy's blind. He can't remember how it happened, so don't ask him."

Hermione gave Iggy a sad look, then remember what I told her, she looked away. I looked around. Everyone was quiet. The castle towered over us as we drew closer. "Heads down!" Hagrid shouted and we all obeyed. The boats carried us through a dark tunnel and we stopped at an underground harbour thing. We clambered out of the boats, and Hagrid found Neville's toad. "Trevor!" he cried as Hagrid handed it back to him. We were led up a passageway and after a while, Hagrid stopped in front of the front oak doors. He raised his huge fist and knocked on the door.

* * *

><p>We were left in what I would call a broom cupboard. A stern looking witch called Professor McGonagall opened the front doors and led us to the freaking cupboard. Let me tell you, the flock don't do well in small spaces. Were all highly claustrophobic... Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we were raised in cages. Hermione seemed to notice my discomfort because she linked our arms and whispered, "It's ok, we'll be fine." I could tell from that moment on that we were going to be best friends. Everyone seemed to be nervous about the Sorting, which would tell us what house we belonged to. I wasn't nervous, I was looking forward to it. Then people started gasping and some people even screamed. "What? What is going on?" yelled Iggy. "Um, Ig... Ghosts just floated in through the wall, and they appear to be arguing," I explained and Iggy's mouth dropped open. The ghosts started asking us questions and when Professor McGonagall returned, she led us out into the Entrance Hall and I started breathing normally again. "You don't like small spaces, do you Max?" Hermione asked and I nodded. Our arms were still linked and they stayed that all the way into the Great Hall. It was amazing in here, I thought. The ceiling appeared to be missing and was replaced with the sky outside, but I knew it was just a charm. Professor McGonagall got us all to form a line and placed a battered old hat on a stool in front of the staff's table. I saw Dumbledore and smiled at him. He smiled back onto the hat, which had started singing.<p>

_**Oh you may not think I'm pretty,**_  
><em><strong>But don't judge on what you see,<strong>_  
><em><strong>I'll eat myself if you can find<strong>_  
><em><strong>A smarter hat than me.<strong>_

_**You can keep your bowlers black,**_  
><em><strong>Your top hats sleek and tall,<strong>_  
><em><strong>For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat<strong>_  
><em><strong>And I can cap them all.<strong>_

_**There's nothing hidden in your head**_  
><em><strong>The Sorting Hat can't see,<strong>_  
><em><strong>So try me on and I will tell you<strong>_  
><em><strong>Where you ought to be.<strong>_

_**You might belong in Gryffindor,**_  
><em><strong>Where dwell the brave at heart,<strong>_  
><em><strong>Their daring, nerve, and chivalry<strong>_  
><em><strong>Set Gryffindors apart;<strong>_

_**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**_  
><em><strong>Where they are just and loyal,<strong>_  
><em><strong>Those patient Hufflepuffs are true<strong>_  
><em><strong>And unafraid of toil;<strong>_

_**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**_  
><em><strong>if you've a ready mind,<strong>_  
><em><strong>Where those of wit and learning,<strong>_  
><em><strong>Will always find their kind;<strong>_

_**Or perhaps in Slytherin**_  
><em><strong>You'll make your real friends,<strong>_  
><em><strong>Those cunning folks use any means<strong>_  
><em><strong>To achieve their ends.<strong>_

_**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**_  
><em><strong>And don't get in a flap!<strong>_  
><em><strong>You're in safe hands (though I have none)<strong>_  
><em><strong>For I'm a Thinking Cap!<strong>_

Everyone applauded and then McGonagall said, "Let the Sorting begin."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Ta-da! this chapter is long, and I hope its not crap! <em>**

**_I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yesterday and I'm sad thats its over!_**

**_It was an amazing movie! :D_**

**_anyway, please REVIEW!_**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived...A.K.A Rachel ;)_**


	4. Where we belong

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey! So here's the fourth chapter, and its starting at the Sorting. Enjoy! :D_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived ;)_**

**_Max's Pov_**

McGonagall took put a long piece of parchment and started listing off names. One by one, she'd call them up and then the Sorting Hat would shout out what house they would be in. Hermione just got sorted into Gryffindor. My heart started hammering in my chest when McGonagall shouted, "Griffiths, Iggy!" Iggy had obviously been listening to the footsteps of the other first years because he walked over to the stool. It took him a few seconds to find the stool, but McGonagall helped him find it. She placed the hat on Iggy's head and I nearly started laughing when it went passed his eyes. For around ten seconds the hat was silent, but then, its giant mouth opened and it shouted,  
>"GRYFFINDOR!" The table on the far left started clapping and Iggy followed the sound, beaming the whole way, and sat down next to Hermione. A few more people got sorted, into Ravenclaw, Huffelpuff or Slytherin. When Malfoy's name was called the hat barley touched his head when it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"<p>

Next, it was Fang. The hat was only on his head a few seconds when it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Fang went and sat down next to Iggy, but when he passed me, he whispered, "Good luck." When Harry was called up, whispered and murmurs broke out through the hall. It took a long time for Harry to get sorted, but he ended up in Gryffindor. Me and Ron looked at each other and I smiled. He smiled back, but I couldn't help noticing that he looked a bit green. I took a deep breath when McGonagall called, "Ride, Maximum." I gritted my teeth and walked up to the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on my head and it went down passed my eyes. "Hmm... Yes, yes, you are a lot like your father..." I heard in my ear. You knew my father? I thought and I heard, "Yes, yes I Sorted your father and mother when they were eleven. Your a lot like them. Your brave and smart, daring and cunning. But your also loyal and kind. Ohh... You are quite difficult to place... But I think I know where you should be... You'll do best in GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted out the last word and I pulled the hat off my head and gave it back to McGonagall. I sat down next to Harry and he smiled at me. He looked very relieved about something. We watched Ron pull the hat on his head and after a couple of seconds, the Hat had shouted that Ron would be a Gryffindor. After Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin, McGonagall took the hat and stool and put them away.

I glanced down at the empty plate in front of me and my stomach growled in hunger. It seemed ages ago since we ate Harry's sweets. Dumbledore stood up and opened his arms wide. "Welcome back for another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet," I groaned at Harry had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stop from laughing, "I have a few words I would like to say!" "Well say them then and get it over with!" Ron said impatiently. Apparently, I wasn't the only one that wanted to eat right now. "And those words are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" And with that Dumbledore sat down. Everyone clapped and cheered and I heard Harry ask Ron's older brother, Percy (who was a prefect, and if you ask me, he was full of himself) if Dumbledore was mad. I didn't listen to his answer. I didn't have to take Percy's word on whether Dumbledore was crazy or not, because I knew he was. I looked longingly at my plate and my mouth fell open. The plates were now full of food, the goblets full of different drinks. Everything looked amazing. Normally it was just take-out at home, or else Iggy would cook because Jeb wasn't a very good cook. Me and Ron exchanged gleeful looks and started filling our plates. I knew why I had to eat so much, the flock needed to eat much more then normal humans, but I was surprised at Ron. He was eating the same as Fang, and he's the one that always the most. Hermione and Percy were talking about classes, Harry was talking to a ghost, and I was talking to Ron. He was explaining Quidditch to me. It sounded like the best game in the world, but first years weren't allowed on the house teams. I made a promise to myself to try out as Chaser next year.

I was pulled out of my fantasy when I heard the sandy-haired boy, Seamus Finnigan, say, "Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?" He was talking to the ghost that Harry was talking to. He looked very irritated and said, "Like this." He reached up with his hand and grabbed his ear and pulled. His head fell onto his shoulder as if on a hinge. Whoever tried to chop off his head didn't do a very good job. "WHAT? THAT IS SO COOL! You, are my new best friend!" Iggy shouted. Hermione had just whispered what the ghost had done. The ghost smiled and floated off to sit next to some fifth years. I was talking to Harry about his owl, Hedwig, and I saw his eyes drift up to the teachers table. Then all of a sudden, he said, "OW!" and clapped his hand onto his forehead. "Harry, what's wrong?" he just shook his head and muttered nothing. His green eyes were still on the teachers table. I looked over my shoulder and saw that he was looking at a hook-nosed man with greasy black hair. The teacher was glaring right back at Harry, then his eyes drifted to me and his black eyes widened slightly in surprise. I frowned and turned back to Harry. He was asking Percy who the teacher was. "Oh, that's Professor Snape. He's the Potions teacher, but everyone knows its the Dark Arts he likes. He's been after Professor Quirrel's job for years. He's the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the man in the turban," he added at my confused look. There was something weird about Snape... Why had he looked surprised when he saw me? I let it go and returned to talking to Harry about owls.

After everyone had eaten, the food vanished to be replaced with desserts. When that was finished, they vanished again and the plates were left sparkling clean once again. Dumbledore stood up and the Hall fell quiet. "Ahem-just a few words now that we are all fed and watered. There are some notices I would like to give to you. First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. A few older students should do well to remember that too," his eyes drifted to Ron's older twin brothers, Fred and George.

"I have been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker to remind you that magic is shouldn't be used in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials are going to be led in the second week of term. And finally I must inform you that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds for everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." I looked at Fang and I shrugged. He looked curious, and I shook my head. He wanted to go to the third-floor corridor. He looked disappointed.

"And now, lets song the school song! Everyone pick there favorite tunes and off you go!" He flicked his wand and the words appeared out of nowhere. Everyone bellowed the song and Iggy and Ron had chose to rap it. Fang wasn't singing, and me and Hermione joined in with Fred and George on their funeral march. We were the last to finish, and the school applauded and we were all led out of the Great Hall and Percy showed us where Gryffindor Tower was. We stopped outside a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress, and when we were close enough, she asked, "Password?"

"_Caput Draconis."_

The portrait swung forward and we scrambled in. It was a round room with a welcoming fire and large armchairs. It was a very cosy room and then Percy showed us where our dormitories. Percy directed the boys through one door and the girls through the other. Me, Hermione and two other girl whos names I had forgotten, went up the stairs and I opened the door to our dormitory. There were four four-posters and our trunks had already been brought up. I jumped on the bed closest to the window and called, "This one's mine!" I heard the other girls jumping on the other beds and I closed the curtains around my bed so I could change

When I finished, I opened the curtains and saw that the two girls who's names I didn't know were still awake. "Hi! I'm Lavender Brown! Whats your name?" The girl with curly hair said and I smiled and said, " Max Ride. Whats your name?" I asked the other girl. "I'm Pavarti Patil." Hermione's curtains were closed and I could hear deep breathing coming from behind them. Hermione was asleep. "Thats Hermione Granger," I said and Lavender and Pavarti nodded, said "Goodnight," and went to sleep. I lay awake in bed, thinking about what the Sorting Hat had said. My parents went to Hogwarts. They used to go to this school! But, I thought, as I turned over to look out the window, that means that Jeb wasn't my father. He was a Muggle, he couldn't of come here.

Before I fell asleep, I thought that I was going to do whatever it took to find out who my parents were. Maybe Snape knew them and thats why he looked so surprised when he saw me. I was most likely taken by the whitecoats when I was born. I sighed and fell asleep thinking of my parents.

* * *

><p>I walked down to breakfast the next morning with Hermione. We spotted Harry, Ron, Fang and Iggy sitting at the Gryffindor table and joined them. I saw Ron give Hermione a weird look, but she didn't notice as she was pouring herself some Pumpkin Juice. McGonagall came around handing out our timetables. "Come on, we better get going or we'll be late," Fang said as he looked from the timetable to his watch.<p>

When Friday came, I was glad that it was almost the weekend. There was more to magic then I thought. When we were eating breakfast, the mail arrived. The mail always came by owl. We got quite a shock on the second day when an owl with a letter for Ron arrived and it landed on Fang's head.

Harry and I both got letters. Harry looked surprised, but I just thought it was another one from Jeb. But when I opened it, It was from Hagrid. I turned to Fang and Iggy. "Hagrid's invited us down for tea this afternoon. We can go after Potions, its our last class," they nodded and Harry said, "He's invited me down too. Ron, you want to come?" "Yeah, sure."

I turned to Hermione and asked if she wanted to come too. She looked very happy and nodded. Ron didn't look too happy about that, but I ignored him.

We arrived at Potions and Snape took the register. He stopped at Harry's name and made a remark, but I wasn't listening. I was looking around the dungeon. We had Potions with the Slytherins, so that meant that Malfoy was here. I shuddered at the thought.

"Miss Ride, will you please pay attention!" Snape snapped and I looked forward. Snape was looking at me with so much loathing that I was surprised that he didn't hit me. It reminded me of the way the whitecoats used to look at me. I let the fear of the memories out on my face and Snape must have seen it because he looked away.

"Tell me Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione's hand shot into the air-no surprise there- but Harry looked clueless, but oddly enough I knew the answer to that. "I don't know sir," Harry said quietly and Malfoy and all his friends started laughing into their hands. "Tut, tut, lets try again. Where would you look if I told you to look for a bezoar?" Harry looked more clueless this time, but surprisingly, I knew the answer to this one too. "I don't know sir." "Once more, Potter. What is the difference between monkswood and wolfsbane?" I knew this one too, but of course Harry didn't. "I don't know sir."

Hermione's hand was still in the air, but Snape ignored her. "I think Hermione does though, why don't you ask her?" Harry went on coldly. Snape glared at him, then looked at Hermione. "Put your hand down you stupid girl," he snapped and Hermione put her hand down and I saw there were tears in her eyes.

I glared at Snape and said, "That's not fair! Hermione's not stupid! You asked a question and she knew the answers! It wasn't fair to call her stupid because she knew the answers! How can she be stupid when she knew that asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful that its actually called the Draught of Living Death! And how could she possibly be stupid when she knew that you find a bezoar in the stomach of a goat! And tell me, Professor, how could she be stupid when she knew that monkswood and wolfsbane come from the same plant called aconite! How could she be stupid when she knew all of that!" I knew I had gone too far by the look on Snape's face.

"Detention, Miss Ride. Starting tonight, and you will stay here after class and clean the tables, and ten points from Gryffindor. Now..." he continued the lesson and I kept ignoring the awestruck looks Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fang and Iggy were giving me (well, Iggy was giving an awestruck look at my ear, but whatever). When class was over, the rest of the group left to go to Hagrid's, while I stayed behind. When everyone left, I turned to look at Snape, and jumped when I saw how close he was. "Holy Jesus, make some noise before you do that!" His face contorted in rage and he looked as if he was about to say something, but didn't. He just went over to his desk and grabbed a cloth.

"I expect the dungeon to be spotless when I return in an hour, Miss Ride, and you will come to my office tomorrow at five o'clock for the rest of your detention, and the same on Sunday." He gave me one more loathing stare and swept out of the dungeon. I looked around and only noticed how filthy it was. There was a puddle of wasted potion on the floor, and the amount of dirt and dust and grime around the dungeon was disgusting. I started cleaning and by the time Snape returned an hour later, the dungeon was clean enough.

"It will do. You may leave, but remember. Tomorrow night, five o'clock, Miss Ride, and don't be late," he spat and without saying anything I stormed up to the Great Hall for dinner. I was starving and when I sat down in between Fang and Hermione. As soon as I sat down, Hermione hugged me. "I'm really sorry, Max! It's my fault you have detention! If I wasn't trying to be a know-it-all, you-" "HERMIONE! Shut up! Its alright, and besides, it was worth it. Did you see Snape's face?" I asked and everyone laughed. We all started eating, and then Fred and George came up. "Hey Max. We heard you got detention already. You broke our record," Fred said.

"Yeah, your not trying to be better then us, are you? Because we will be more then happy to accept that challenge," George said and I replied, "I'm not trying to be better then you. My goal is to see how long it takes before Snape cracks. I'm going to make his life hell." Fred and George both said "Fair enough," and went to eat with their friends. "How was Hagrid's?" I asked and Harry started talking straight away. It was obvious that he had been bursting to tell me. "Someone broke into Gringotts."

"What? What happened to them?"

"Nothing. That's what weird, they never found the person that broke in, but there also saying that nothing was taken. The vault that was broken into was emptied that day. And you'll never guess who emptied it."

"Was it Hagrid?" I guessed and Harry just stared at me. "How did you know?" I shrugged and Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah it was Hagrid and I was with him. It was the day he brought me to Diagon Alley, on my birthday."

I frowned and said, "But why did Hagrid wait until he went with you to get whatever it is? He was in Gringotts with us a few weeks before that."

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out what that thing was that he took from the vault. He said it was top secret, but maybe we could get it out of him. What do you think?" We all nodded and went back to the Gryffindor common room. We did our homework and I went to bed, wrecked. I groaned when I remembered that I had detention with Snape tomorrow. Wow, I'm so lucky...NOT! I wonder what he's going to make me do... I shuddered at the thought of what he would have me do and I actually considered not going. He seemed to hate me, for no reason. But I knew that if I didn't go, I would be in more trouble.

First week at Hogwarts and I already had detention with the worst teacher in the school. Freaking awesome.

"Max! Max! Wake up! MAX! WAKE UP!" I bolted upright and nearly headbutted Hermione. "What?" I growled and Hermione gestured to the door. "Fang and Iggy are in the common room. They want to talk to you." I climbed out of bed, muttering death threats the whole way. I saw Fang and Iggy sitting on the floor and I sat next to them. "What do you want?" I asked giving Fang my death glare. "We need to talk about this place. We need to make a choice on whether we stay or not. We never know if there are whitecoats involved. What do we do?" They both looked at me and I was taken aback. They wanted me to say whether we stayed here or not? What the hell?

"Well? What is it, Max?" Iggy asked and I looked them in the eye.

"Were staying here. If we leave, people will know somethings up, and besides I think were safe here. Well, unless that evil dude, Voldemort, shows up which I highly doubt. The whitecoats weren't magic, so they aren't able to get in here. Were safe here,and Dumbledore is keeping an eye on the rest of the flock. We stay here. Were not going to keep running away from all the new things that happens to us. This is where we belong. We belong here and I'm staying. _This is where we belong_. Do you understand? No more stupid questions or ideas, and no more waking me up this early. Understand? Good. Goodnight." I walked back up to my dormitories, but despite how tired I was, I didn't fall asleep. Did I really believe what I said? Were we really safe here? Oh, of course were safe here. As long as Dumbledore was here, we were safe. Which that thought, I fell asleep.

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><p><strong><em>AUTHORS NOTE<em>**

**_So what do you think? i know its kinda crap but ill make up for it in the next chapter!_**

**_ in the next chapter, there going to go flying so yay! :D_**

**_PLZ REVIEW!_**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived _**

**_-Rachel ;)_**


	5. Detention with the Greasy Haired Git

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey! Some people were asking if the reason Snape hates Max is because she's Harrys sister._**

**_Max is NOT Harry's sister. She is not related to Harry at all. You'll just have to wait to find out why he hates her so much._**

**_Anyway, here we go with the next chapter. Enjoy!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived_**

**_Max's POV_**

Flying was the best feeling in the word. You feel free, and the way the wind feels against your face in incredible. I had left the common room before anyone else was awake and I ran off down to the Forbidden Forest, and when I found a clearing large enough, I had spread out my wings and took of to the air.

I flew for hours, and when the sun had risen fully I went back to the castle. Everyone was already in the Great Hall for breakfast. I must have been flying longer then I thought. I sat down across from Fang and Iggy. Hermione asked, "Where were you?"

"Oh, I just went for a walk." I looked at Fang and he probably guessed what I had really been doing by my flushed face and windswept hair. Harry and Ron looked really excited about something and when I asked what was up, they both beamed. "We have our first flying lesson this afternoon. Mind you, it is with the Slytherins... Oh, well were going flying!" Hermione looked nervous at the thought of flying. She had her nose buried in Quidditch Throughout The Ages. Fang, Iggy and I were just thinking of this as another flying lesson with Jeb, except without our wings. Then a thought stuck me.

"Wait! Today is Saturday!"

Iggy grinned and said, "I knew it was only a matter of time before you learned the days of the week!" I whacked him upside the head and continued. "Its Saturday, why are we having a class today? Why can't we do it during the week?" They all shrugged and when the time came, we all went outside into the grounds. The Slytherins were right behind and we could clearly hear Malfoy, who was talking unnecessarily loud.

"I've been flying for years. I'm a very talented flyer, and I'm going to try out for the house team next year. I think its quite ridiculous that first-years can't be on the teams. But, when I join, I'm sure we'll win all of our matches."

I rolled my eyes and stopped walking when we came in sight of Madam Hooch. After a few simple broom exercises, she told us to mount our brooms. Neville, who was very nervous, kicked off before he was meant to. He had no idea what to do. He was rising higher and higher up, and then, he fell. He was falling, and then-

WHAM!

He fell on the grass and I heard a dull crack. Me, Fang and Iggy were probably the only ones to have heard Neville breaking his wrist. Madam Hooch helped him up and went with him to the hospital wing. As soon as they were out of earshot, the Slytherins started howling with laughter. "Did you see the fat lumps face?" wheezed Malfoy between his laughs. Malfoy looked down on the ground and snatched something up. It was the Remembrall Neville's grandmother sent him a few days ago. Malfoy mounted his broom and took to the sky, the Remembrall still clutched in his hand. I was furious and was about to mount my own broom, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and looked right into Harry's green eyes. "Let me," he snarled. I never knew Harry could ever look so mean. He climbed on the broom and went after Malfoy.

They were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying, but after a minute, Malfoy threw the Remembrall and landed softly on the ground. The Slytherins were all cheering, but I was watching Harry. He went into a dive after the Remembrall and I thought he was going to crash into the ground, but he grabbed the Remembrall and pulled out of the dive.

He landed slightly roughly and then he was surrounded by Gryffindors. They were cheering and clapping him on the back. He was grinning and looking quite please with himself. "Harry, that was amazing! I didn't know you could fly like that!" I said and Harry was about to reply but was cut off by a very load shout.

"HARRY POTTER! COME WITH ME!" It was McGonagall. Harry looked frightened and I didn't blame him. McGonagall could be scary when she wanted to be. Harry slouched after her, and when they disappeared, the Slytherins were all laughing again.

"He's probably going to get expelled," Malfoy was saying, "Good enough for him, he wasn't even a good wizard, and he had no real friends. I bet those weirdos he thinks are his friends are probably only hanging out with him because he's famous. He's better off going back to those Muggles he grew up with, and staying there."

I walked over to Malfoy and before anyone could stop me, I punched him in the face. Harry told me all about what it was like living with the Dursley's. It reminded me slightly of the School, and I was disgusted by it.

"Whats your excuse then, Malfoy? Why are these people pretending to be your friends? It's not because your nice, because your not, it's not because your funny, because your not, and it can't be becauseof who you are, because your a pathetic, selfish, spoiled, rich kid and you can't do anything for yourself. Do everyone a favour, _Draco_, and go jump off a cliff."

I picked up my bag, and stormed off into the school. It was almost time for dinner, so I went up to the common room. The others didn't come to look for me, I'm guessing Fang and Iggy told them to leave me alone when I this angry.

When it was time for dinner I walked down to the Great Hall alone and when I was almost at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George stopped me.

"You punched Draco Malfoy," Fred said.

"I did."

"You just stormed off after you did it?"

"I did."

"You broke his nose."

"I did? Awesome!"

"He's glaring at you right now as we speak."

"So what? Screw him."

"He is going to try and make your life hell here from now on."

"I guessed that, but I can take care of myself. I punched him once, I will do it again."

Fred and George looked at each other and a big grin broke out on their identical faces. Then suddenly, they were both hugging me. "You are our new favorite person at Hogwarts. Don't tell Lee though, he'll just get jealous," George said and I laughed. They went to sit with there friend, Lee Jordon. I went over to sit with the rest of our group and saw that Harry was sitting there, looking very happy about something.

"Harry! Why do you look so happy? How much trouble did you get in?" I asked and he smiled widely. "I didn't get in trouble," he said happily. "But-" I started and Ron interrupted me. "Hes on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team! He's a Seeker!" Mu mouth dropped open and Harry beamed. Fang looked highly amused, and Iggy seemed to be making out with food, he was eating it that fast.

"So, you punched Malfoy?" Harry asked and I nodded, smiling smugly.

Harry was about to say something else when a drawling voice interrupted him.

"So, when are you going back to the Muggles, Potter? Is this like your last meal or something?" We all turned and saw Malfoy standing in between Crabbe and Goyle. It was then that he noticed me. "And what about you, Ride? How much trouble did you get in for breaking my nose? I told the teachers," he said and he looked very proud of himself. "Actually Malfoy, none of the teachers said anything to me. Maybe I did them a favour by punching you?" The people within earshot laughed and Malfoy's cheeks went pink.

He ignored me and looked back at Harry. "Well, Potter. What about a wizards duel. Tonight, midnight in the trophy room. Wands only. Crabbe's my second, whos yours?" Harry looked very confused and Ron stood up. "Me. I'll be his second," What the hell was a second, I thought. Malfoy nodded and went back over to the Slytherin table. I sat down and looked at Ron.

"Whats a second?" I asked. Ron looked shocked that I didn't know, and said, "Well, if Harry dies, then I take over for him."

"Lovely," I said and looked down at my watch. It was five minutes to five. "Holy crap! I have to go or I'll be late. See you guys later!" And I ran out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons. It was five o'clock when I reached Snape's office and I knocked on the door, breathing heavily. A faint, "Enter," came through the door, and I walked in. Snape was sitting at his desk, correcting homework, and he only looked up when I said, "Hello, Professor."

"Hello, Miss Ride. I want you to empty all those jars and clean them. You may leave only when you have finished. No talking."

I looked at the jars in which he was talking about. They all seemed to be full of different horrible stuff,and they were all filthy. There was hundreds of them. I was going to be here all night, I thought. I wanted to watch Harry beat Malfoy's ass... I picked up the rag left on the table and started my detention.

* * *

><p>It must of been after midnight when I finished all the jars. Snape wrote a note for me explaining why I was still out of bed at this hour in case Filch caught me. I left his office and started walking towards Gryffindor tower, but then I remembered the duel. I wonder if they had finished it yet. I shrugged and kept walking, but I must of taken a wrong turn or something, because I was down a corridor I had never seen before. Then, I heard a loud crash and a shout of "RUN!" coming from right around the corner. It was Fang's voice that had shouted. I ran around the corner and saw four figures running down the corridor. I ran after them and eventually caught up with them. It was Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fang, and Iggy.<p>

"What the hell are you doing here?" I whispered and they all turned around fast and looked relieved when they saw it was only me.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked. "I got out of detention and got lost... Why are you all the way down here? Its miles from the common room and the trophy room. What happened?"

They explained how they had been tricked and how Filch chased them all the way over here, and how Ron ran straight into a suite of armour. We heard more running footsteps coming this way, and all started running again. It wasn't easy for me as I was in a freaking skirt, but I kept up. We turned a corner and stopped outside a door. It was our best shot, so I pushed everyone out of the way and tried to open the door, but it was locked. I looked at Hermione and we both nodded. We took our wands out, pointed them at the door and whispered, "_Alohamora!" _The door clicked and we all stumbled inside.

We heard a wheezing Filch pass, but he didn't stay long. He went off down another corridor and we couldn't hear him anymore. I turned around to get a look at the room, and stopped moving. "Oh. My. Freaking. God," I whisper-shouted. The other four turned around to see what I was talking about, and Hermione had to slap her hand over her mouth to stop from screaming.

Standing right in front of us was a dog. But with dogs had three heads. Three bloody heads. I now realized that we were in a corridor, not a room, and this corridor was the one that was forbidden to students. I now saw why.

The three headed dog started snarling and growling, and it was reminding me too much of the other hybrid the School created, that actually survived. Erasers. Half-wolf, half-man, but they were all beast. I still had a large scar on my side from where one Eraser scrapped me during a fight.

Harry threw open the door and everyone else ran out, but me. I was too transfixed by what this animal was making me re-live. Harry grabbed me around the waist and pulled me out just in time. The dog had just lunged, but the boys closed the door in its face. When the door was locked again, I looked at Fang. He knew what I was thinking, and he thought the same thing. By the look on Iggy's face, so had he.

"Max, why did you just stand there? What happened?"Ron demanded. I shrugged and I saw out of the corner of my eye, Fang giving Ron a warning look. Ron let it go. We all ran back to the tower, and when we separated at the dormitories, I noticed that Hermione was shaking. I hugged her tight and whispered (Lavender and Pavarti were asleep) "It's okay, Hermione. We never have to face that thing again."

Hermione hugged me back and it was only then that I remembered my wings. Hermione had felt them. I wasn't wearing my robe, just the school jumper. She pulled away and whispered, "Max...?"

I looked at her and I knew that she knew what they were. There was no point arguing with Hermione. "Were they...wings?" she whispered. I looked her in the eyes and nodded. She gasped and I looked down. Were we really good friends, and now she was going to think I was a freak and never talk to me again. I knew she wouldn't tell anyone if I asked her not to... I hoped.

Tears started filling her eyes and I continued looking at my shoes. Then, she was hugging me. I pulled her off me and I whispered, still looking at me shoes, "You don't think I'm a freak?" I could hear the hopefulness in my voice and then I heard Hermione saying, "What? Of course I don't think that! I think its amazing! But however did you get them? I heard my parents talking about a lab in America where they do experiments on children, but you couldn't of been there... could you?" she looked frightful of my answer.

I nodded and she gasped. I knew I could trust Hermione. She was my best friend, and I actually felt better now that she knew. I looked up at Hermione and she looked on the verge of tears. "What happened?" she asked, and I took a deep breath.

This was going to be a long night. I sat down on my bed and Hermione sat next to me. "Are you sure you want to know?" I asked and she nodded with a look of determination. I opened my mouth and then closed it again. This happened a few times before I actually figured out how to start. I took a deep breath and started telling Hermione the story of my life.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AUTHORS NOTE<em>**

**_Whatcha think? Next chapters the one with the troll and I'm still trying to find out how Harry and Ron find out about the flock..._**

**_REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived _**

**_-Rachel ;)_**


	6. The Joys of Halloween and Quidditch

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey! So my cousin is doing three fanfics, shes doing a Maximum Ride one, a Twilight one and a _**

**_Skulduggery Pleasant Twilight crossover. Her name is FANG-IGGY so please read her stories. There really good :)_**

**_Heres the new chapter, enjoy!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

Hermione just stared at me. I had just finished telling her about the School, and what they did to us there. She had tears running down her cheeks and I felt uncomfortable. "Your tougher then I thought, Max," she said at last. I gave her a small smile and she shook her head. "For adults to do that to a child...its just barbaric!" I gave a laugh that lacked any happiness and said, "Well, look what Voldemort did to Harry and he was only a baby."

"That's different! I mean, it is awful what happened to Harry, but what happened to you went on for years!" Hermione countered and I retorted, "Well, I'm sure if Voldemort was still around, he'd probably kill Harry." When I said Voldemort, Hermione shuddered and I rolled my eyes. Fear of the name only in creases fear of the thing itself.

"Do the rest of your family know?" she asked. I only told her that I had wings. It was up to Fang and Iggy if they wanted her to know, I wasn't going to tell her they're secret. I nodded and she took a shaky breath. I opened my mouth and she said, smiling, "I won't tell anyone, I promise." I hugged her and Hermione went to her own bed, and quickly fell asleep. It felt great to have someone else then the flock and Jeb knowing my secret. I would have to tell Fang and Iggy that she knows of course, and that should be fun. They were to bloody kill me! Awesome...

* * *

><p>The next month went by and we awoke on Halloween looking forward to the feast. Harry had been in a great mood everyday since he got the Nimbus Two Thousand from McGonagall. I was so jealous that I didn't talk to him for days, but came around again when he said I could have a go on it.<p>

We went down to the last class of the day, which was Charms. Mr Ollivander had been right about Fang's wand. Charms was by far his best subject. My favorite subject was Defense Against The Dark Arts, but Quirrell made a joke out of himself. He was stuttering in every sentence and it seemed he was frightened of the students.

We were doing levitation in Charms today, and I was paired with Iggy. Hermione and Ron were paired together and I knew Ron didn't like it. I wondered why he didn't like her. Hermione was really shy and always came across to people at first as bossy, but you get to know her and like her then.

Me and Iggy were trying to make our feather (I know, ironic, right?) levitate, but after a few minutes tiny Professor Flitwick cried, "Look everyone! Miss Granger's done it!" I looked around and saw Hermione with her wand held high, and over her head was the feather. I smiled when I saw Ron's face. He looked very depressed and angry.

At the end of class me and Hermione left after the boys, but Ron obviously didn't know that.

"She's a nightmare! No wonder she has no friends! The only reason I don't say anything is because Max likes her, and Max is our friend! It's no wonder no one can strand her! She such a know-it-all-" Ron broke off when Hermione banged into him but she kept running. I saw her face and saw that she was crying.

"Well done Ron!" I said furiously. "Just for your information, I'm her best friend! God, your so thick! You know she's a Muggle-born! The reason she acts like a know-it-all is because she knew nothing about this before she got her letter! She's trying to fit in by knowing everything about it, so give her a break moron!" I ran after Hermione, but I couldn't find her anywhere.

Everyone else would be at the feast, but Hermione wouldn't be there, she's too upset, I thought as I ran down the corridors. I passed the girl's toilet and heard sobbing. I opened the door and called, "Hermione? Is that you?" The door on the cubicle opened and Hermione emerged, red eyed and looking miserable.

"I'm sorry Max. I know I shouldn't of let what he said get to me, but... It's true. I am a know-it-all, and I have no friends-"

"You do have friends! What about me? And you and Iggy are always talking, and Fang's never done anything to you. Ron's just being a git, don't mind him." Hermione was about to say something but stopped when the door opened. She looked over my shoulder and a look of terror came on her face. I turned around and saw what was so scary.

It was a freaking troll! It was twelve feet tall, it's skin was a dull grey and it was carrying a huge wooden club. Then we heard the door close and the sound of the lock. Someone locked us in! I was going to kill whoever locked the door! Well, if the troll didn't kill me first.

The troll advance on us and Hermione shrunk against the wall. She looked like she was going to faint. I looked around but didn't see anything of any use. The troll had just spotted me and was raising it's club when the door opened and Harry, Ron, Fang and Iggy ran in. "Do something!" I yelled as I dodged the club, but only barley. The boy's starting picking stuff up of the floor and throwing it at the troll's head.

Hermione stood up slowly and tried to make her way to the door, but the troll noticed her and went to hit her with the club. She was going to get hit, she couldn't move out of the way fast enough. "Hermione, move!" I shouted and when she didn't move, I pushed her out of the way and the last thing I felt before I fell to the ground was pain.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, I felt really sore. My ribs were aching and so was my left leg. I opened my eyes and became very confused. I wasn't in my bed, in my dorm. Where the hell was I?<p>

"Ah! Miss Ride, your awake! I'm Madam Pomfrey, the matron. How are you feeling?" I looked at the woman who was talking to me. Then I remembered what happened. I was in the bathroom with Hermione because she was upset, then a troll came in and it was about to hit Hermione, but I pushed her out of the way...The troll must of hit me instead. I must be in the hospital wing, I thought and I opened my mouth to talk but was cut off by the loud shout of, "MAX! YOUR ALIVE!"

I saw the whole group walk in and Iggy was in the front smiling like an idiot after what he had just shouted. Hermione was there, and she looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. "I told you children, Miss Ride needs rest. You can come back later. Now, get out!" Madam Pomfrey shouted and they all left again with mean looks at Madam Pomfrey and promises that they'd be back later.

The door opened a few minutes later and Madam Pomfrey was getting ready to shout at whoever was coming in, but she stopped herself just in time. "Oh, its you Headmaster. May I ask what made you visit the hospital wing?" Madam Pomfrey asked and Dumbledore looked over at me. "I'm here to ask Miss Ride why she was in a bathroom with a troll, and what happened that made it necessary she come here. If you don't mind, Poppy..." She left us alone and Dumbledore strolled over to my bed. "Max, I want to know what happened. Your friends won't answer any of our questions, and I hope you will."

So, I told him what happened and when I was finished he just nodded and told me to get better, then he just left.

I left the hospital wing two days later. My leg was broken and so were some of my ribs. Hermione felt guilty, but I told her to get over it and that it wasn't her fault. Apparently she made up some lie about what had happened, and got the boys out of trouble. Ron actually liked her now, and we were one big group of friends that were interfering in things we shouldn't.

We were doing our best to find out what was under the three-headed dogs trapdoor. Hermione told us about it the next morning, because she was the only one that actually saw it. We all agreed that whatever Hagrid took from Gringotts, was the thing the dog was guarding.

As November came, Harry became more and more busy with Quidditch practice. The first match of the season was only in a few days and I could tell he was nervous. He kept saying that he thought Snape let the troll in so he could try and get passed the do, but he got bitten, because he was limping. I didn't know whether to believe him or not. Snape had been just as unfair and cruel to Gryffindors in class as he was in their first lesson, but he was still a teacher.

When the morning of the Quidditch match came, I was really excited. This was going to be our first ever time seeing a Quiddith match. After breakfast we all went down to the pitch. We said goodbye to Harry as he went into the changing rooms. We went into the stands and waited for the match to start.

When the Gryffindor team came onto the pitch, all the house's except for Slytherin started cheering. And when the Slytherin team came on, everyone except Slytherin started booing. The match was great, we were winning and Harry was flying around looking for the Snitch. He had almost had it but he got fouled, and the Snitch disappeared again.

Then Harry's broom started going crazy. It was as if it was trying to fling him off, but thats not possible, a broomstick couldn't do that. Hermione was looking through the crowd using Hagrid's binoculars, for what I don't know. All off a sudden, she gasped and said, "It's Snape! He's jinxing Harry's broom!"

"What? How do you know?" Fang asked, looking up at Harry who was only holding onto the broomstick with one hand. "Look at him!" she said urgently. Fang didn't need the binoculars to see Snape and neither did I. Snape was staring at Harry, without blinking and his mouth was moving. He was doing a spell. I looked away from Snape to Harry. He was so far from the ground... The Weasley twins were trying to grab Harry and put them on one of their brooms, but every time they tried, Harry would only go further and further up.

"Leave it to me," Hermione said and she ran off down the stands. "Whats she going to do?" I asked and Iggy shook his head. "You never know with that one."

I was watching Harry and the broomstick was still trying to throw him off. He wasn't strong enough to hold on for much longer. "Come on Hermione..." I whispered and then, Harry's broom stopped moving and Harry could throw himself on it again. As soon as he was on the broomstick properly, he sped off towards the ground. He covered his mouth with his hand, and I thought he was going to be sick. He landed on his knees on the pitch, opened his mouth and something small and gold fell out of his mouth into his hands.

He had caught the Snitch.

There was a moment of confused silence, then the Gryffindor's started shouting and screaming and we all ran onto the pitch.

Hagrid invited us all back to his cabin for tea, and thats where we went straight after the match.

Hermione was trying to tell him that it was Snape that had been jinxing Harry's broomstick, but he wasn't having any of it. "Rubbish," he kept saying. "Snape wouldn' do somethin' like that. He's a teacher!"

Harry decided to tell him what we knew.

"He tried to get passed that three-headed dog on Halloween, but he got bitten. We all think he's trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the cups in his hands and they broke on the floor. Fang the dog got scared and hid under Hagrid's bed. Were always making fun of Fang because he has the same name as Hagrid's dog.

"How do you know 'bout Fluffy?" he asked and I raised my eyebrows.

"You named a three-headed dog that could kill us in about two seconds _Fluffy?"_ "Well, o' course I named 'im! He's mine!" Hagrid thought I was freaked out by the fact that he named the dog, not the fact that he named it Fluffy. "How did you manage to get a three-headed dog, Hagrid?" Iggy asked looking fascinated.

"Got 'im off an Irish **_(A/N; Go Irish people! :D )_** fella in the pub las' year an' lent him ter Dumbledore fer-"

"Go on," urged Fang. He had become much more talkative since arriving at Hogwarts. "No, thats top secret, can't tell yeh no more. What Fluffy is guarding is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel."

"Who's Nicolas Flamel?" I asked and Hagrid looked furious with himself. He told us to get out because he was busy, and we all walked back to the castle.

"Well," said Iggy, "at least we have a start. We can go to the library and look up Nicolas Flamel."

"Yeah, we'll go tonight after dinner. How long do you reckon we'll be looking for?" I asked and Harry shrugged.

"Who knows? He might not be in any of the books at all."

And so our search for Nicolas Flamel began.

* * *

><p><strong><em>So what ya think? Still trying to find out how Harry and Ron find out about the wings, but I'll think of something. <em>**

**_If anyone has suggestions as to how they find out, just review and leave your suggestion there :)_**

**_So review and tell my what ya think of the story so far?_**

**_REVIEW_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived _**

**_ -Rach ;)_**


	7. He's gone

**_AUTHORS NOTE!  
>Hey, so here's the Christmas chapter and it will be a small bit depressing, just saying.<em>**

**_So, enjoy, and REVIEW! ;)_**

**_Disclaimer: It belongs to J.K Rowling and James Patterson_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived_**

**_Max's POV _**

Some people would say that Christmas would be their favorite time of year. The flock weren't them people. This was going to be our first Christmas, and of course the only person other then the flock that knew that was Hermione. She was going to make a big fuss before she went home to her parents, and even though I told her not too, she told me the day before term ended, when we were in Transfiguration that she had everyone's presents.

I rolled and my eyes, but I was actually excited about Christmas. Fang Iggy and I agreed to stay at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron to continue our search on Nicolas Flamel, and we were the only Gryffindors staying. I was about to whisper back to Hermione, but McGonagall said, "Girls! Are you paying attention?"

"Sorry Professor," we muttered and McGonagall resumed her teaching, but was interrupted when there was a soft knock on the door a few moments later and a sixth-year Hufflepuff entered with a small piece of parchment in his hands. "Yes, what it is Mr Byrne?" she asked and he said, "I have a note from Professor Dumbledore."

He handed her the note and as she read it, she went pale and looked very upset. Her mouth went into a firm line and after a while, she cleared her throat and dismissed the Hufflepuff boy. She didn't speak again for about five minutes and when she did, what she said took me surprisingly by surprise.

"Mr Griffiths, Mr Martinez, and Miss Ride, you are to accompany me to Professor Dumbledore's office. The rest of the class in dismissed, go down to dinner. Come on you three," she said and opened the door. Harry Ron and Hermione gave us weird looks and I was trying to think if we had done something that got us in trouble, but couldn't think of anything. We followed McGonagall through different corridors and she kept giving us looks that I recognised. Jeb would look at the flock the same way through our cages back at the School. Fang noticed it too and he looked very uncomfortable.

McGonagall finally stopped in front of a stone gargoyle and said clearly, "Exploding bon-bons!" The gargoyle sprang to the side and reviled stairs. "Come on then, this way," McGonagall said quietly. Something strange was going on...

We climbed onto the stairs and it started rising up and up and we ended up outside double doors. I could hear voices coming from inside and...crying? I looked at Fang and he looked back. He was frowning, and just shrugged. McGonagall knocked on the door, and we heard Dumbledore say quietly, "Come in."

She opened the door and we all walked in. I didn't have time to marvel the beauty of his office-and it was beautiful- because as soon as I stepped in, something jumped on me. I was knocked backwards onto the floor, and when I looked at what was on top of me, I saw a messy mane of black hair, and this person was wearing a pink frilly skirt.

"Nudge?" I shouted and she let me go and stood up. I remained on the floor. After looking around, I saw not only Nudge, who had tears running down her cheeks, but also Gazzy and Angel. There was also a plump woman with red hair, and a kind face and she too, had tears in her eyes.

"Whats going on? Why are you guys all here? Where's Jeb?" At the sound of Jeb's name, both Angel and Gazzy started sobbing. I looked at Dumbledore, frightened by their behaviour. It takes a lot to make one of us cry, and none of them looked hurt as far as I could see, but Angel was shaking.

"If you three would sit up here please," Dumbledore said, sounding exhausted. I got up and led Iggy over to the chairs. We sat down and Dumbledore inclined his head towards the woman with the red hair. "This is Molly Weasley. Ronald Weasley is one of her sons, and your all good friends with Ronald, am I correct?" We all nodded and Mrs Weasley smiled kindly at us.

"Em...sir? Can I ask, why are Nudge, Gazzy and Angel here? What's going on?" Fang asked. Dumbledore got a grave look on his face.

"I'm afraid it is not good news I have to tell you. Minerva, maybe you should take the youngsters to the hospital wing? Madam Pomfrey could give them a Calming Draught?" McGonagall nodded and escorted the kids out the door. Dumbledore turned back to us and continues.

"You see, Mrs Weasley lives not that far from you, and she has been baby-sitting while Jeb was at work. This evening, he didn't come to collect the children at the proper time, so Mrs Weasley took them home...And an awful sight met her eyes.

"I'm afraid your house has been destroyed, and Mr Batchelder... I'm afraid he has passed away."

I just stared at him. This couldn't be true. I didn't care about the house, but Jeb couldn't be dead...there was just no way... He was always so strong. This had to be some sick joke, there was no way Jeb was dead. But as I looked into Dumbledore's incredibly blue eyes, I knew it was true. With tears in my eyes, I stood up quickly and ran out of his office, down the stairs and I ran all the way to the Entrance Hall.

"Max! Hey, what did Dumbledore want? Where's Fang and Iggy, dinners about to start," Harry called from the Great Hall, but I ignored him and ran out the front doors into the freezing grounds. The snow was up to my knees, the lake was frozen, and as I walked slowly towards it, snow started falling again.

I stood on the edge of the lake, tears falling down my cheeks onto my robes. How could he be dead? Jeb, the only man I thought of as a father, is gone and he's never coming back. He left the flock...he left me. We were alone again, we had no one but each other. I wonder what there going to do with us, I thought. I sunk to my knees and started sobbing into my hands.

Whenever I used to cry, Jeb would always stroke my hair and comfort me... This thought only made me sob harder. I stopped sobbing when I heard voices coming from the gate, up to the castle. I frowned at thought who would be going into the castle now?

I stood up and listened to what was being said. "Yes, My Lord. No one saw me leave or enter the Batchelder mans house. I'm sure of it." That was Professor Quirrell, I thought. But whos he talking to and why was he in our house. Then a second voice spoke, and it was a cold voice that made me shudder.

"Good, good. You have done well Quirrell. I am slightly disappointed that the children weren't there when you killed Batchelder. They will be interfering fools too when they arrive here, Quirrell,just like Ride, Griffiths and Martinez. Hurry up Quirrell, Lord Voldemort needs to rest."

I stood in shock and tried to move, but I fell over and let out a scream in shock. I heard fast footsteps and when I looked up, Quirrell and his turban were looming over me, but there was no sign of anyone else.

"What are you doing out here, Miss Ride?" he asked sweetly. I gave him my best death glare, and before I knew what was happening, I was flying head first into a tree, then there was nothing.

* * *

><p>I woke up just as confused as I was after I got hit by the troll. I was freezing, and I had a pounding headache. When I opened my eyes, I had to shut them again because it was so bright. I heard people talking, and I heard my name a lot. I tried opening my eyes again and I managed to keep them open this time. "Max! Are you alright! What happened? Fang told us that you ran out of Dumbledore's office after he told you about-after he told you the thing, then we couldn't find you for ages, but Harry said you could be in the grounds, so him and Ron went to look in the grounds while we looked inside! They found you by the lake and you were knocked out and-"<p>

"NUDGE! SHUT UP!" Iggy shouted and Nudge fell silent. She looked slightly insulted, but Iggy didn't know that. "What happened, Max? When Harry and I found you, your head was bleeding and you were pretty much turning blue. What happened?" Ron asked, but I couldn't remember.

"Erm... I remember running away from Dumbledore's office, then running outside. I sat by the lake and I don't know what happened then."

I was determined to keep my mind away from Jeb. I was not going to think about him, I wasn't going to get upset by it in front of everyone. They stayed for a while, then Dumbledore came in followed by McGonagall and Mrs Weasley. Her and Ron must have talked earlier, because he wasn't surprised when his mother came in.

"Max, theres something you didn't get to hear before you ran out of my office. You must surely be thinking what will happen to you and your family now? Well, that was settled between myself and Mrs Weasley. You will be staying with the Weasley's from now on. Mr and Mrs Weasley will be more then happy to take in the six of you," and he turned to Mrs Weasley and said, "And the school will be more then happy to give them any amount of gold they will need,"

She looked like she was going to argue but Dumbledore started talking over her. "Anyway, Max, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" I had the odd feeling that he wasn't asking about my physical health. I just said, "I've been better, but I'm sure I'll get over it." He smiled and leaned down so that when he whispered in my ear, I was the only one that could hear him.

"We never truly get over the death of a loved one, Max. Remember that." He said goodbye to everyone else and left the hospital wing. Angel climbed onto the bed and hugged me. She started sobbing and I held onto her as tight as I could. "It's okay, Angel. We'll get through this. You just have to be a big girl, right? You don't mind staying with the Weasley's right? There really nice," I told Angel, and Mrs Weasley gave me a tearful smile.

"Max dear, we really have to leave. I should have been home hours ago, but then what happened to you... Oh, Arthur will be awful worried. Ready, sweetheart?" she asked Angel holding out her hand. Angel hugged me once more, then Fang and Iggy. Gazzy and Nudge did the same, then to my surprise, so did Mrs Weasley. "We'll see you in a few months." She hugged Ron and Harry then left with Nudge, Gazzy and Angel.

Everything was happening so fast...Jeb is dead, were going to live with the Weasley's and I can't remember what happened last night. It was hard to believe that I was actually looking forward to Christmas, now I just wanted it over with. At least when there were classes I could get distracted, but now that we were on holiday, there was nothing to stop me from thinking about Jeb.

Right now, I just wanted to be left alone. Fang seemed to read my mind, because he told the rest of the group that they should leave and let me rest. He wasn't acting himself and I hoped he wouldn't get too upset like he did at the School. When we were there, he would get so upset that he wouldn't mutter a word for days. He wouldn't even move or eat.

I fell asleep and when I woke up, I found a letter on the bedside-table. I recognised the writing at once. It belonged to Jeb. There was also a small note beside it in writing I haven't seen before. The small note said, **_This was found in your house. Jeb wrote it to you before he died. He would of wished that you read it. -Professor A. Dumbledore_**

I looked at the letter. It wasn't very long, but it took me a while to read it. I kept stopping to whip the tears out of my eyes.

_Dear Max,_

_I am so proud of you. You are a strong, funny, smart, beautiful girl and I couldn't be more happy with you. I was always afraid that there would be something wrong with you and the flock, seeing as where it was you were raised. It was awful that you were out through that, I am deeply sorry for everything that has happened to you. I want you to know that you have parents, but I am sad to say that the evil wizard with the really weird name- Lord Voldemort is it?- killed your mother. I am really sorry. I don't know who your father is, or if he's even alive.  
>You should know that the whitecoats and Erasers are still looking for you, but you will be safe at Hogwarts and with the Weasley's. Always be on the lookout for anything suspicious though. You'll never know what them monsters will do next. Look after the flock, I know you will be a great leader, and I assure you, the Weasley family are the nicest people in the world.<br>I am so proud of you and the flock, you are all so amazing and none of you deserved what happened to you. Remember, Max, you are very special. You are very important, and one day I am sure you will find out why. Keep close to Harry Potter, and keep close with the flock.  
><em>_I love you sweetheart,  
>-Jeb<em>

It sounded like he knew he was going to die when he wrote this. What had happened? It felt like I knew something important, but I forgot it.

This was so frustrating! It had something to do with last night, I knew that much. I groaned in frustration and looked back at Jeb's letter. I read the last two lines over and over again before I fell asleep, the letter clutched in my fist.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AUTHORS NOTE<em>**

**_What ya think?_**

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**_-I am the Girl Who Lived_**

**_ -Rach ;) xxxx_**


	8. To Look in a Mirror

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey! So heres the new chapter! Enjoy!_**

**_-I am the Girl Who Lived )_**

**_Max's POV_**

I left the hospital wing on Christmas morning and went straight to the common room. I wanted to show Fang and Iggy the letter and also find out if they got anything new on Nicolas Flamel. I still couldn't remember what happened two nights ago. I gave the Fat Lady the password and walked through the portrait hole. I saw that Harry, Fang, Iggy and the Weasleys were all coming down the stairs, pulling on hats and scarves as they walked. They were obviously going outside for a snowball fight, but stopped in their tracks when they saw me. "Why did you all stop moving?" asked Iggy, looking very confused.

"Is because they saw my beautiful face, Ig." I said while laughing. "Not so beautiful when we saw it covered in blood," Ron said, smirking. I punched his shoulder and he went sprawling on the carpet. We all burst out laughing, and Harry grabbed my arm and said, "I need to show you what I got for Christmas!" I followed him up to the boys dormitory. "Look at this!" he said while shoving something silky into my hands.

"Er...Wow, Harry. Its a really nice cloak..." I trailed off wondering what he was so excited about but he grabbed the cloak and pulled it on himself. He disappeared. "What the hell?" I shouted. A second later Harry was standing in front of me again.

"Its an Invisibility Cloak!" he cried and a huge smile broke out on his face. "Who gave it to you?" I asked. I took the cloak in my hands and put it around my shoulders. My body disappeared and only my head remained visible. "No idea. All the note said was that it used to be my dads, and before he died, he gave it to whoever sent it to me," he paused for a minute then said, "Max, I'm really sorry about Jeb. Are you alright?"

I nodded slowly and I could tell he knew I was lying.

I gave him back the Cloak and asked, "Did I get any presents?" Harry shrugged and said while we walked out of his dormitory, "Not sure. Me and Ron tried to go up to the girls dormitories, but the stairs turned into a slide, and we fell back down." I laughed and told him I'd see him later.

I walked into my dorm, and I saw a pile of presents on the end of my bed. I smiled and started opening them. I got a huge box of Chocolate Frogs from Ron, a book about Quidditch from Harry, a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans from Hermione, a book about Defensive Spells from Fang and Iggy, and even Mrs Weasley sent something. She sent a box of home-made chocolates and a blue jumper. But the present that I really loved was one I wasn't expecting.

It was from Jeb.

I opened it slowly and a small silver locket fell onto my bed. It was in the shape of a wing. There was a note inside and I quickly grabbed it, and my heart sank when I saw it wasn't from Jeb. It said,

_Dear Max, _

_Jeb had bought this weeks before he died. He knew that you would love it. If you look at the back, you'll find something interesting. See you in the summer dear, _

_ Molly Weasley._

I smiled and looked at the back. Etched into the metal was one word that I would remember forever.

_Freedom._

* * *

><p>I spent the rest of the day outside with everyone else, not joining in on their snowball fight. I was staring at the lake. I knew that was where I fell, but I still couldn't remember standing there. I was brought out of my train of thought when a snowball hit me in the head. I turned around sharply, the locket bouncing on my chest, and saw Fred laughing his head off.<p>

I picked up a fist-full of snow and shouted, "Your going to get it, ginger!" That caused confusion between the Weasley's as none of them knew who I was referring to. I threw it a Fred and then everyone started trowing snowballs at me. We continued with the snowball fight until it was time for dinner and we all went into the Great Hall. We were all freezing and covered in snow, and dripping wet. I saw Snape glaring at us all and when we saw me looking back at him, I smiled sweetly and walked over to Gryffindor table.

It was the best dinner I have had in my whole life. All the food was amazing, and we all had a great time. Although, most of my smiles and laughs were forced. And I noticed that Fang was distant throughout dinner and Iggy wasn't being his stupid self. After dinner I went up to the common room on my own.

I stayed in the common room most of the night finishing some punishment homework I got off Professor McGonagall, when I heard footsteps coming down from the boys dormitory. I stood up straight away, my essay and quill falling to the ground. The footsteps came to a halt and I whispered, "Who's there? Harry, is that you in your Cloak?" As soon as I said it, Harry appeared out of no where, holing the cloak and looking annoyed.

"What if that hadn't been me? Someone else would of known about the Cloak!" he said and I raised my eyebrows. "Well, its not like I said `Harry Potter, is that you coming down the stairs in the Invisibility Cloak that you got today that once belonged to your father, and you don't know who sent it to you?' Where are you going anyway?" I asked. He let out a sigh and said, "Well, seeing as I have a cloak that can make me invisible, I was going to go into the Restricted Section in the library to look for Nicolas Flamel. Want to come?"

I nodded and he held out the Cloak so that I could go under too. "What about Ron, Fang and Iggy? If they find out we went without them, they'll kill us," I whispered as we left the common room. Harry shrugged and whispered, "Why should I care? They can't hurt me, I'm the Boy Who Lived," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes and we continued to make our way down to the library. When we entered, we went straight to the Restricted Section. Harry pulled the Cloak off us and we both and left it on a table. We started taking down different books and looking through them, but I couldn't find anything about Nicolas Flamel. I turned to Harry and was about to ask him if he found anything, He pulled down a book, he let it open and it started screaming. Harry shut it closed but it was still screaming.

We started walking away, and I knocked over our lamp. We heard the footsteps that could only belong to Filch and we started running. Harry threw the Cloak over us and we ran away from the library. We passed Filch in the doorway, and Harry had to drag me away before I could do anything to him.

We ran for it, and we came to a stop in front of a suit of armour. I didn't know where we were and by the look on Harry's face, he didn't know either. Then, we heard Filch's greasy voice from around the corner. "I found this in the Restricted Section in the library Professor. It's still hot, so whoever it was can't be very far away." Well, you got that right, I thought as-and to my horror- Snape replied.

"Very well, we'll catch them. Lets get going then."

They walked around the corner and Harry started backing away slowly. I followed and we saw a door standing ajar. We squeezed through it without making a sound, and Snape and Filch walked passed, not even looking at the door. I leant against the wall, breathing deeply.

"That was close," Harry whispered as he pulled off the Cloak and left it on the floor but I wasn't paying attention. My eyes found a huge mirror with a gold frame. Carved on the top were the words: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _I looked at Harry. He was staring at the mirror, in a kind of daze. Harry walked right up the mirror. His bright green eyes widened in shock and his hand flew to his mouth. Then he whirled around. I looked around too, but saw nothing except for the tables and chairs that were stacked high against the walls.

"Harry? What's wrong?" I asked but Harry just shook his head, looking once again in the mirror.

"Mum?" he whispered. "Dad?" I frowned and looked around the room again. Harry was smiling and I was getting worried. His parents were dead and he looked as though he was looking at them! I walked over to Harry and stood next to him, "Harry- we should leave..." But Harry wasn't listening. He was staring hungrily into the mirror, but I refused to look at it. But before I could move, Harry grabbed my shoulders and pulled me over so that I was standing in front of the mirror. I expected to see myself, but I didn't.

I saw a young man, with a handsome face and dark hair and grey eyes. He looked very happy, and smiled at me. Next to him was a very pretty woman with dark blonde hair like my own, and the same brown eyes. It took me a while to realize I was staring at my parents, but I didn't say anything. I knew they were both dead. Jeb had said in the letter that Voldemort killed my mom, so why wouldn't he of killed my father while he was at it?

I turned away from the mirror and walked back over to the door. When I reached it, Harry was once again starring at the stupid mirror. I would be surprised if he didn't start kissing it soon, the way he was looking at it. That mirror had done nothing more then show me what I couldn't have, but what I wanted more then anything else. I grabbed Harry and with great difficulty, managed to get back to the door. I put the Cloak on us both and we made our way back to the common room.

"What did you see in the mirror?" Harry asked suddenly. "None of your business." I snapped. Harry looked away and I whispered, "Sorry...It showed me something I want more then anything else in the world, but I know I will never get it." Harry nodded and said, with a hint of a smile, "I saw my parents."

We reached the portrait hole and when we climbed in, said goodnight and went into our own dorms. I knew Harry would go back to that mirror tomorrow night, but I wouldn't be going with him.

I was right. I heard Harry and Ron whispering at breakfast and Harry said that he would bring Ron with him tonight. Then he turned to Fang and Iggy, and told them what happened. They all asked me what I saw in the mirror, but I told them all the same thing I told Harry.

After breakfast, I was going up to the library to look for Nicholas Flamel, but stopped when I saw who was walking down the marble staircase.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Ride," drawled Malfoy. "What do you want Malfoy?" I snarled, and he smiled. "I heard what happened to that man you and your family live with- Batchelder was it?- and I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

I stared at him for a while then said, "What? Your sorry?"

"Yeah, I'm very sorry I never got to meet him. Then I could of asked him if he knew why your real parents never wanted you. Well, if you ask me it could of been a number of reasons, but I would of liked to know. Why do you think your parents didn't want you, birdie?" he winked and walked away and I stood frozen on the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AUTHORS NOTE<em>**

**_Hey, sorry its been a few days but I've been busy and really lazy ;)_**

**_So what do ya think of the new chapter?_**

**_How did Malfoy find out about the flock?_**

**_Who were the people Max saw in the Mirror of Erised?_**

**_REVIEW_**

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**_-I am the Girl Who Lived _**

**_Rach ;) xxx_**


	9. The Alchemist

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Hey! So, here's the new chapter, and I hope you like it :)_**

**_-Rach_**

**_Max's POV_**

I was pacing up and down the boys dormitory. It was empty apart from me, Fang and Iggy. Harry was at Quidditch practice and Ron was in the library looking something up for the essay Professor Binn set us before the holidays started. Seeing as term hasn't started yet, Hermione was still at home but was coming back tomorrow.

Iggy was just about to say something when the dormitory door burst open. Harry and Ron stood in the doorway, Harry was covered in snow and he was shaking like crazy. "W-why is M-malfoy g-going around t-t-telling everyone -y-you have w-wings?" Harry stuttered. I felt my cheeks heat up and I looked at Fang. His face was as expressionless as ever, but I saw his dark eyes darting all over the room, looking for a way out.

"Just tell us if its true! We won't tell anyone else! Come on, I thought we were friends!" Ron pleaded. I looked into Ron's blue eyes **_(AN: I don't actually know what color his eyes are, lets just say they're blue) _**and into Harry's vivid green eyes. I knew I could trust them just as much as I could trust Hermione. I looked at Fang and Iggy. Fang nodded and when I tapped Iggy's hand twice, he nodded too. I took at deep breath, and said, "It's true."

Then, the three of us whipped out our wings. Mine were brown and white, Fang's were black and Iggy's were grey-white. Ron and Harry both jumped back, then after an uncomfortable silence, they both ran over to us. They were both shouting about how cool it was, and how they were mad we never told them, but the grins on their faces told us that they were far from mad.

"But how does Malfoy know? You guys didn't tell him though?" Harry asked and I frowned. How did Malfoy know? At first I thought it could of been a coincidence but now he's telling the whole school that we have wings.

"I wouldn't tell Malfoy anything...Well, I would tell him to stick his wand up his-" I started but Fang interrupted me.

"Yeah but Max, Hermione knows about us. You told her, remember?"

I turned to him and said, "For one thing, I only told Hermione that I have wings. She doesn't know you guys have them too. And besides, I trust her. I know she wouldn't tell anyone." Harry and Ron were still grinning like idiots. Harry came to his senses before Ron. "But how did you get wings?" he asked, his smirk gone. We told them the whole story, and when we had finished, Ron looked disgusted and Harry looked livid.

"Does Dumbledore know about that?" he asked. "Well, yeah of course he does, and I know where your going with this Harry, but there was nothing Dumbledore could of done," I whispered. Harry nodded and muttered something about homework and went back down the stairs. I knew he was still thinking about the School because he had all his homework done. Ron started talking to Iggy about what it was like to fly with wings instead of on a broomstick, and Fang was reading some book. I walked quietly out of the dormitory and made my way over to my own dorm. I was the only girl in there for Christmas. Lavender and Pavarti went home for Christmas too. I stayed there for the rest of the night and didn't leave until it was time for breakfast the next morning.

* * *

><p>We were all sitting in the common room, and Harry was at Quidditch practice. The next match against Huffelpuff was drawing nearer and when he entered the common room that evening he didn't have good news.<p>

"Snape's referring the next match," he said as he sat down next to the fire. As soon as he said it, Hermione and Ron jumped up and started making suggestions as to why he couldn't play.

"Pretend to be sick!"

"Pretend to break your leg!"

"Really break your leg!"

"I'll be glad to help with that, Harry," I added and everyone laughed. Harry was about to say something when Neville fell into the common room. His legs had been locked together by a Leg-Locker Curse and he had to hop all the way over to the seats. Hermione stood up and did the counter-curse. Neville told us all how Malfoy had done the jinx, and he looked like he was about to start crying. Harry gave him a Chocolate Frog, and we did what we could to cheer Neville up. He gave the card from the Chocolate Frog to Harry and went to bed.

Harry gasped and cried, "I've found him! I've found Nicolas Flamel!" We all rushed over and found Harry holding a card on Dumbledore.

"Er, Harry, thats Dumbledore not Flamel," said Fang. I looked up at him. That was the first thing he's said since Jeb died.

"No, listen!" Harry said impatiently. He started reading out a part on the card. "_And his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel." _When he finished, Hermione shrieked and ran up to the girl's dormitories. She reappeared a few minutes later holding a huge book. "Oh here we go," Ron muttered.

Hermione ignored him and said quickly, "I got this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading-"

"Light?" said Iggy, who was feeling the book that was bigger then his head. Hermione ignored him too and started flipping through pages. She stopped on a page around the middle and shrieked again. "I knew it! I knew it! Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosophers Stone!"

"The what?" everyone else asked together. Hermione rolled her eyes, but she was trying hard not to smile. She looked down and started reading.

"_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.  
>There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)."<em>

She put the book down and I said, "So, Fluffy must be guarding the Stone!" Hermione nodded and said, "Exactly." We spent the rest of the night discussing the Stone. Before we went to bed, I asked Harry what was he going to do about Snape referring the next match.

"I'm going to play. If I don't people will think I'm afraid of Snape or something. I'll make sure we win," he said with a fiery look.

The morning of the match arrived and we wished Harry good luck and set off for the grounds. We sat next to Neville and just after the match started, someone banged into Fang. It was Malfoy. I hadn't seen him since the afternoon he called me `birdie'. We diverted it by telling everyone that Malfoy was just making it up to get attention. It worked, and now Malfoy was furious.

Malfoy sat behind us the whole match, insulting everyone. Me, Ron and Neville all cracked when Malfoy said, "Wow, Ride. I would of thought you'd have better friends. Theres Weasley, whos poor, Potter who has no parents, Longbottom who has no brains and Griffiths who can't see."

Ron, Neville and I jumped over our seat and I started hitting every inch of him I could reach. "Take it back Malfoy!" I said, but Malfoy only grunted and cried out. I felt arms around me and Fang was pulling me back. Ron's lip was bleeding and Neville was out cold. I had a bruise on my cheek, but I didn't care.

Harry had just caught the Snitch! The match was over, we won! We all screamed and I turned back to Malfoy who was trying to walk away and I was pleased to see his nose bleeding. "Yeah, Malfoy the Gryffindor Quidditch team is so bad, thats how Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes!" He glarred at me and left.

"Party in the Gryffindor common room!" shouted Fred when he landed on the pitch. The twins spotted me and George asked, "Hey Maxie do you want to go into the kitchens with us?" Before I could answer, they were swept away with the crowd. "Maybe next time!" I shouted, not sure whether they heard me. The rest of us made our way back to the school, but we couldn't find Harry. I walked up to one of the Chasers, Angelina Johnson, and asked, "Was Harry still in the changing room when you left?" "Yeah he was. He'll be out soon I expect. See ya Max." she said and I walked away. We walked the rest of the way back to the common room, and Harry wasn't there either. Fred and George had taken drinks and food from the kitchen and there was music playing from the corner. Everyone was laughing and talking loudly, so no one heard Harry when he came through the portrait hole. "Where have you been?" Hermione asked and he gestured for all of us to go into a quiet corner. "I followed Snape into the Forbidden Forest. Quirrell was there too and it sounded like Snape was threatening him. He wanted to find out how to get passed Quirrell's enchantments on the Stone, and how to get passed Fluffy. Quirrell didn't tell him anything, but it's only a matter of time before Snape find outs."

"So...the Stone is safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Fang said.

"Its probably going to be gone by next Tuesday," Ron said.

"Oh come on! Quirrell's not that bad!" I said. Everyone just looked at me with their eyebrows raised. "Well, yeah he is. Actually, Ron I'd be surprised if Snape doesn't get the Stone by tomorrow."

* * *

><p>But as the weeks passed, it looked like Quirrell still hasn't said anything to Snape. Whenever we passed the door concealing Fluffy, Fang Iggy and I would use our enhanced hearing to listen to Fluffy growling inside. Snape seemed to be in a worse mood then usual, and I received three more detentions from him. Hermione had started studying for the end-of-year exams, and so had I, just so she would shut were getting more and more homework and one afternoon while in the library, I was helping Fang with his Transfiguration essay when Ron said loudly, "Hagrid! What are you doing here?" I looked up and sure enough, Hagrid was standing there looking quite embarrassed.<p>

"Nothin' miuch. Yeh still not lookin' fer Nicloas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found who that was ages ago," said Iggy brightly. "He's the bloke that made the Philosep-" "Shut up! Don't just shout out what it is!" I hissed.

"Well, Hagrid, I wanted to ask you a few questions, like whats guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy-" Harry started, but before I could say anything, Hagrid said, "Shhh! Look, come an' see me later, the lot of yeh. I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin' but come down."

"See you later," I said and Hagrid walked out of the library. "I'm going to check where he was looking. Theres something suspicious about it," Fang said and disappeared. I knew he was only doing it to put off the Transfiguration homework. He came back a few seconds later with a strange expression. He slammed a few books onto our table and said, "Dragons."

"Dragons? Why would he be looking at books about dragons?" Hermione asked and Harry answered, "He's always wanted one, told me first time we met."

"But isn't dragon-breeding against the law?" Iggy asked and I nodded, then I remembered that Iggy was blind so I said, "Yeah, it was out-lawed years ago."

"If Hagrid has somehow managed to get a dragon, am I the only one that thinks that will be a bit of a problem because he lives in a wooden house?" Fang said.

We all nodded and I said, "What the hell is Hagrid doing?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AUTHORS NOTE<em>**

**_Hey, sorry its been a dew days, but my sisters came back from England. _**

**_So what did you think of this chapter? Thanks for all the reviews, and keep them coming! ;)_**

**_-Rachel _**

**_ xxx_**


	10. Hagrid's Little Pet

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey, so here's the new chapter! Hope you like it! :)_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

Later that night, the six of us walked down to Hagrid's house. Ron knocked on the door and we heard Hagrid's voice call out, "Who is it?"

"It Jesus, now let us in!" Iggy shouted and the rest of us snickered. Hagrid opened the door and we climbed in. It was really warm in here, I thought as I took off my cloak. Even though it was quite warm outside, there was a fire in the grate. "Yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?" Hagrid said as he busied himself making tea for us. Fang the dog had made his over to Fang the person and was now drooling over Fang's robes.

"Yeah," said Harry, "We want to know what else is protecting the Stone except for Fluffy?" I couldn't help noticing that Hagrid was very distracted as he answered. "Well, I can't do that. Fer one thin', I don't know meself. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell yeh. The six of yeh know more then yeh should. Still don't know how yeh know 'bout Fluffy." He handed us all our tea and sat down.

"Oh, Hagrid come on! We know that you know! Dumbledore trusts you enough to tell you everything!" I said and Hagrid smiled. "What we really wanted to know," continued Hermione, "Is who did the protecting."

"Oh...Well, can't hurt ter tell yeh that. Well, there's Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Professor Quirrell," the name sparked something in my mind, but I pushed it to the side. Hagrid kept on calling off names of teachers and finished with, "and Professor Snape."

_"Snape?" _We all shouted at the same time.

"Yer not still on 'bout that? Snape's protecting the Stone, not tryin' ter steal it!" Hagrid said, as though talking to a bunch of five year olds.

"Who else know how to get passed Fluffy, Hagrid?" Fang asked quietly. Hagrid took a sip of tea before answering. "No one knows except me an' Dumbledore," he said, his chest swelling with pride.

"Aaaarrrrgggg!" screamed Ron. We all looked around to see him looking into the fire. "What the hell is that?" he shouted and Hagrid whispered, "Not so loud, Ron! Get away from there!" Ron walked back over to the table and I stood up to see what was so interesting. In the heart of the fire, was a black egg.

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asked. "What_ is_ it?" Fang asked.

"Um..Well..." Hagrid looked deeply uncomfortable. I looked from the egg back at Hagrid and remembered the books he had been looking at in the library.

"Hagrid? Is that a dragon egg?" Hagrid shifted from foot to foot and nodded.

"Hagrid, how did you get it?" Ron repeated and Hagrid said, "I won it. Las' night, had a few drinks in the village an' started playin' cards with a stranger. Seemed glad ter get rid of it really."

"What will you do with it when it hatches?" I asked and Hagrid looked at me as if I was crazy. "I'm gonna raise it o' course! I've been doin' some reading an' I think I can manage it," he looked very pleased with himself. "Er...Hagrid, there's a bit of a problem with that," said Iggy. "Whats that, Iggy?" Hagrid asked looking lovingly at the dragon egg.

"Your house is made out of _wood!"_

But Hagrid continued to look at the egg as if it was the cutest thing he had ever seen. We left Hagrid's a half hour later.

"He's mental! Keeping a dragon in his house! What if anyone catches him, its illegal to keep a dragon like that. My brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania, he tells me all about them," Ron was saying as we walked up the marble staircase. I frowned and thought, what would happen if someone found out about the dragon?

"Maybe we should try and persuade Hagrid to let the dragon go after it hatches? We could give it to your brother, Ron," Harry said and we all agreed.

The next morning, however, at breakfast Freedom flew into the Great Hall along with the other owls. He landed in front of me and when I took the letter off his leg, he started eating my toast.

It was from Hagrid. It bore only two words. _It's hatching. _

Me and Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to Hagrids, but Hermione argued with us until we all agreed to go down at morning break. It seemed as though Malfoy was listening to our conversation though, and I didn't like the idea of that.

When we reached Hagrid's hut, he opened the door straight away and the six of us crowded around the table. There were cracks all over the egg and it was shaking. We all waited, holding our breath. Then the egg split open. At first I thought an umbrella fell out instead of a dragon, but it started moving. It wings were huge, and its body small and skinny. Hagrid was about to say something when I cried out. Everyone looked at me and I ran to the window.

Malfoy was running back up to the castle. He had seen the dragon.

Over the next few days, Malfoy would smile darkly at us. It made us all very nervous. We spent most of our free time trying to persuade Hagrid to let Charlie come and take Norbert (the name he chose for the dragon) back to Romania. But Hagrid kept saying things like, "Hes too small" and "The other dragons would kill him."

We helped look after hte dragon as much as we could, but when Norbert set his bed on fire that Fang put out with a water Charm, Hagrid agreed that we could write to Charlie and ask him to come.

A week after we sent the letter, Ron and Iggy came into the portrait hole. "It bit us!" exclaimed Ron. Both he and Iggy were holding they're hands in bloody handkerchiefs. Ron went on a rant about how Hagrid was crazy and was about to say something else when there was a tap on the window.

"Harry its Hedwig!" I cried and Harry jumped up and letting her in. "She has Charlie's answer!" He untied the letter from the owls leg, and with a soft hoot, she flew back out the window, up to the Owlery. Harry read the latter aloud. It basically said that Charlie's friend would get Norbert from the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday.

By next morning, Ron and Iggy's hands were green and had swollen to the size of a pumpkin. They both went to the hospital wing, and at the end of the day, the rest of us went to see them. Iggy was snoring lightly when we came in, but woke with a start when Fang jumped on his bed. Ron looked like he did something awful.

"Malfoy has my book!" he whimpered. "So? Whats so bad about that?" Hermione asked.

"Because he took the book that had Charlie's letter in it!" Ron whined. We all stared ate each other in mute shock. We must have stayed that way for hours, or maybe minutes. We didn't get a chance to say anything, as Madam Pomfrey shouted at us, telling us Ron and Iggy needed rest. We all shared a look of shock, then Harry, Fang, Hermione and I went back to the common room.

By the time Saturday came, Hagrid was so emotional that he couldn't even speak properly to us as the four of us went down to collect Norbert at half eleven. He was sobbing into his handkerchief. I looked down at Norbert, who had grown five times in length since he was hatched. Hagrid was forcing the dragon into a large crate, and he was shaking so much, he could hardly stand. I watched him as he placed a teddy bear into the crate, and bottles of brandy and dead mice. As Hagrid closed the crate, I could hear ripping coming from inside. Norbert was ripping apart his teddy bear.

We picked up the crate, pulled the Cloak over the lot of us and while Hagrid sobbed his goodbyes, we made our way up through the grounds. It was quiet and we didn't see anyone as we strode slowly towards the Astronomy tower. The quiet night air was disturbed by people walking briskly down the corridor.

Professor McGonagall was wearing a hair-net, but somehow, that only made her more murderous looking. We squashed ourselves against a wall, forgetting that we couldn't be seen, and when McGonagall walked into the moonlight streaming from the high windows, I had to clap my hand over my mouth to stop laughing.

Professor McGonagall was dragging Draco Malfoy, face still bruised from my fists at the Quidditch match, by the ear. "Detention!" she was shouting. "Twenty points from Slytherin! How dare you wander around at night?" she shrieked. Harry and I shared gleeful looks.

"But Professor," stuttered Malfoy, looking like he was about to pee himself. "Harry Potter and his friends are coming! They have a dragon!"

"Utter rubbish Malfoy! Don't tell lies." **_(AN: Wow...had an Umbridge moment there.. sorry lol) _**She dragged him off down the stairs, in the direction I knew Snape's office was. Hermione started doing some weird kind of happy dance and was beaming. I knew it was about Malfoy getting caught, and I was beaming as well. We entered the Astronomy tower and Fang pulled off the Cloak. We were waiting nearly five minutes, then two of Charlie's friends flew up on broomsticks.

They attached Norbert's crate to the harness and shook all of our hands and flew off again. Then, we could no longer see them. "Yes! He's gone!" Fang said, punching the air. We all laughed at his unusual behavior. We slipped back down the staircase, Fang still grinning broadly and Iggy looked like he just wanted to curl up on the floor and sleep. This was the happiest I have been in weeks...What could spoil the perfect moment?

I just had to jinx myself.

When we reached the bottom of the staircase, the first thing we saw was Filch's greasy face.

"Well, well, well. We are in trouble, " he whispered. I looked at Harry in shock. We'd left the Invisibility Cloak up on the tower.

The walk to McGonagall's office was terrible. It seemed to take forever, yet it took only a few short minutes. Hermione was on the brink of tears, Harry and Fang were expressionless and I probably looked...Sad? Angry? I don't know.

I wasn't sure of anything on the walk to McGonagall's office.

Filch pushed us in and slammed the door behind him. A few minutes later, the door opened and McGonagall came in, leading...Neville?

"Harry!" he exclaimed as soon as his eyes set on him. "I heard Malfoy talking the Great Hall and he said that you guys had a drag-" Neville stopped talking at the look I gave him. Unfortunately McGonagall saw it as well.

"It is one o'clock in the morning! What on earth were you four doing in the astronomy tower? Explain yourselves!"

It was the first time Hermione had failed to answer a teachers question. She was as still as a statue. Just as I was about to open my mouth to give one of my famous on the spot lies, McGonagall started talking again.

"I think I know whats going on. You lot fed Draco Malfoy some stupid story about a bloody dragon, trying to get him onto trouble, and Mr Longbottom was most unfortunate to over hear the story as well, and actually believe it!" She looked like she was going to explode. I glanced at Neville, and he looked stunned and hurt. I really liked Neville, he was really sweet, and everyone gave him such a hard time, and now he looked as if he got slapped in the face. I opened my mouth again to try and explain, but McGonagall put up her hand to silence me.

"I'm not taking any excuses Miss Ride. I'm disgusted. Six students out of bed on the same night, and all of them first-years. Fred and George Weasley didn't even manage that! Miss Granger, I thought you would be more responsible. Mr Potter and Mr Martinez I thought Gryffindor house meant more to you. And Miss Ride, we all know your a trouble-maker, but I didn't expect you to do something like this, I thought you, like Potter and Martinez, cared more about Gryffindor. Clearly I was mistaken. All of you are receiving detention- yes even you Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to be out of bed at night- and twenty points will be taken from Gryffindor house, each." **_(AN: I thought making it fifty each was too much, seeing as that would of lost them 250 points)_**

"_Twenty each?" _Harry and I gasped together. That would mean we lose the lead in the House Cup. "But Professor, you can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Miss Ride! Now off to bed, the lot of you! I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students!"

We all marched to the Gryffindor tower in silence, Neville sobbing quietly the whole way there. We had just lost 100 points for Gryffindor. I was dreading the morning, when the students would notice that we were now in last place, thanks to some stupid first-years. Hermione and I said grumpy goodbyes to the boys and we went into our dormitories. Hermione had silent tears streaming down her cheeks and went to bed before I could say anything.

I stayed awake for hours, thinking about what will happen in the morning.

We were all better off dead then facing the wrath of the Gryffindors.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AUTHORS NOTE<em>**

**_Sorry about the lateness, but I have been quite busy. I got asked if this will be a series, and my answer is most likely it will be, but I'm not 100% sure yet. Anyway, anyone try to get into Pottermore early? I got in yesterday, so happy! :D_**

**_So, hope you liked the chapter, and please REVIEW_**

**_ REVIEW_**

**_ REVIEW! ;)_**

**_ -Rach :D _**


	11. A Trip to the Forest Part 1

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey! Here's the new chapter! Sorry its taken so long, I've been really busy, I'll try to update faster, but when I go back to school, updates might only be once a week :( _**

**_Anyway, Enjoy, and review!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

At first the Gryffindor's were confused when they passed the large hour-glass that held the rubies of the Gryffindor points. I heard them asking each other how there was a hundred points, and that maybe it was a mistake or a joke the Slytherins did. During breakfast, though, the story that five Gryffindor first-years had been out of bed at one o'clock in the morning, and how they had lost the points started spreading. For once, the people that were staring at Harry were doing it to glare at him. Even Huffelpuffs and Ravenclaws were giving us glares. They didn't want Slytherin to win the House Cup anymore then we did.

Speaking of the Slytherins, they were clapping and cheering when we walked into the Great Hall. When they saw Harry, they'd shout over things like, "Thanks Potter!" or "Your the best!" Ron and Iggy, who were let of hospital this morning, were the only people who stood by us. "Never mind them," he kept whispering to us, speaking of both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors. Harry was so ashamed that he even tried to resign from the Quidditch team. Wood told him he was crazy and walked away. Harry was having a harder time then me, Fang, Hermione and Neville because he was better known, but no one would talk to us either.

We spent most of our free time in the common room studying for the upcoming exams. We would keep to ourselves and stayed up late into the night. A week before the exams, Harry and I were walking back from the library on our own. We were discussing the exams when I heard whimpering coming from a class room. Harry hadn't heard it yet, so I waited until we were close enough for him to hear it and by the time he heard it, I already knew it was Quirrell. Whenever I thought of Quirrell, or when someone mentioned him, an image always popped into my mind but it was always unclear. In the image, there was snow, and a cold voice talking about murder, then I was flying, and that was it. It really confused me and I didn't know what it had to do with Quirrell.

Harry pulled me closer to the classroom door as Quirrell began to speak.

"Please-no, not again-please-"

I raised my eyebrows at Harry. He was frowning and it looked like he was thinking hard. "All right, all right," we heard Quirrell sob and a second later, the door flew open and Quirrell came out, straightening his turban. He was about to burst into tears, and he was very pale. He didn't even notice me and Harry, and before I could do anything, Harry was peering into the classroom. I followed him and looked in.

It was empty but a door stood open on the other side of the room. Harry turned to me and said very fast, "Quirrell gave in to Snape. He's told him how to get to the Philosophers Stone." Before I could even open my mouth, Harry had ran off back to the library, and I followed him. I was nearly there when I bumped into something- or someone- and I fell onto the floor and banged my head off the hard ground. I cried out and closed my eyes.

"M-Miss R-R-Ride?" someone stuttered over me and I opened my eyes an inch. Professor Quirrell was standing over me, with a worried expression, but his eyes were cold and lifeless. "Are y-y-you alright?" he asked. I nodded and stood up and put my hand on my head. I could feel a bump forming already.

"Yes Professor, I'm alright." I muttered. There was something odd about Quirrell, I thought as I looked into his eyes. As I watched, his eyes flashed red, but when I looked again, it was gone, and his eyes were once again pale blue. The image flew into my mind again, but this time Quirrell was in it himself, asking me what I was doing. I looked back at Quirrell, frowning, and said, "I really must be going Professor." I ran off, looking over my shoulder as I went.

I burst into the library, panting and started looking for my friends. I found them in the corner, and Harry was just finishing telling them what happened when I reached there table. I was clutching my side as I told them about Quirrell, and I was stating to get a headache where I banged my head. Ron, as usual, came up with an odd conclusion.

"Max! What if Snape attacked you that night during the Christmas holidays and Quirrell was there!" Hermione rolled her eyes and said in a matter-of-fact voice, "Even if thats true, which I highly doubt, Quirrell would of told Professor Dumbledore. And besides, Max even said that she fell over. She did just find out that the man who was like her father died." She finished and looked at Fang, Iggy and I and mouthed `sorry'. We haven't spoken about Jeb since he died.

Ron was about to say something else, but was cut off by Professor McGonagall. She was standing behind Hermione's chair and was looking quite upset about something. "Yes, Miss Granger it was the shock about Mr Batchelder that made Miss Ride collapse that night." We all stared at her, expecting her to give out to us for suspecting a teacher of attacking a student, but she didn't say anything else. Maybe all she heard was Hermione saying I fell because Jeb died.

"Now, then," she continued, "your detentions are this evening. You are to meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall at eleven o'clock. Is that clear? Mr Weasley and Mr Griffiths may stay in the common room studying until the rest of you come back, if they wish. Yes what is it Mr Potter?" she asked as Harry opened his mouth to speak.

"What are we going to be doing Professor?" he asked, his green eyes wide with curiosity and suspicion. If we had detention with Filch, I think I'd jump off the astronomy tower and keep my wings folded. "I believe you are going to be doing some business with Hagrid. I must find Mr Longbottom and Mr Malfoy. Have a good day," she said and she strolled away to the door of the library. Harry was beaming.

"If were doing something with Hagrid, it can't be that bad! I was worrying when she said Filch!" he said and the rest of us nodded our agreement. "Yeah, but Malfoy's gonna be there too," Fang said in an expressionless voice. We all grimaced and then continued studying, my mind wandering to Quirrell and what could possibly be happening. Was I going insane? Why was I suddenly suspicious of a teacher that was frightened of the students?

* * *

><p>When it was nearing eleven o'clock that night we said goodbye to Ron and Iggy, and joined Neville and made our way down to the Entrance Hall. Filch was already there holding a lamp and looking very angry that he had to be doing this job. Malfoy was there too, and I was pleased to see that he looked terrified.<p>

"Well, come on then!" snapped Filch. He opened the front doors and we followed him out into the grounds. "I bet you'll think twice before you break a school rule now. Oh yes...hard work and plenty of pain are the best punishments if you ask me, its just a pity that they let the old ones go. Hang you to the ceiling by the wrists for days, and I've still got the chains in my office," he leered and I glared at him. Neville looked mortified and Malfoy looked like he was going to wet himself.

We walked down to Hagrid's hut and Hagrid was outside, with a crossbow slung over his shoulder. We stopped next to the hut and Filch smiled at us. It was a horrible sight.

"Have fun in the Forest," he chuckled and Neville did a little squeaking noise and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. "The Forest?" he whimpered, "but we can't go in there at night! There are monsters in there!" Filch laughed and said, "More and worse things then monsters in that Forest boy. Have fun," he said and hobbled off back to the castle. Hagrid watched him go and muttered, "Ruddy lunatic,"

He took us over to the edge of the Forest and my mind was blank. We can't be going into the Forbidden Forest, it was...well, Forbidden. Hagrid started explaining that there was a unicorn injured somewhere in the Forest and we had to find it. He split us into two different groups, I was with Harry Hermione and Hagrid, and Fang, Neville, Malfoy and Fang the dog were the other group. Fang wasn't happy with his group but he kept quiet.

"Whats happens if the thing that hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Malfoy asked, fear dripping out of every word. "Nothin' in that Forest will touch yeh if yer with me or Fang," Hagrid answered and we all looked at Fang in surprise. Even he looked shocked and surprised. Hagrid chuckled and said, "No, Fang the bloody dog!" "Oh right..." we all said, embarrassed. Even Fang's cheeks looked slightly pink in the night light. Hagrid leaned in to us so that only Harry, Fang Hermione and I could hear him. "Although, with the way you and Max fight, everythin' in the Forest should be afraid of yeh." I smiled and rolled my eyes. Every Saturday, Fang, Iggy and I would go to a small padock near the woods and continued our fighting training. Hagrid watched us sometimes, and sometimes watched us as we flew every morning. Malfoy was still trying to get people to believe we have wings, but no one would listen to him. I wonder how he know...

Hagrid gave us more instructions and we set off. Fang Malfoy, Neville and Fang the dog going on the right path and me, Harry, Hermione and Hagrid taking the left. We walked in silence, our eyes trained on the ground. Every few minutes, the light from the moon would shine through theoverhead branches and would light up some silvery blue unicorn blood on the ground, and on leaves. Hagrid looked worried. It was obvious he didn't want us here with him while he did this, but I guess he didn't have a choice. After some more silent moments, Harry asked, "Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?"

"Not fast enough. Unicorns are really hard to catch, it's not easy," he answered. If a werewolf wasn't fast enough to get to a unicorn, then what was, I thought, and I could see Harry thinking the same thing.

After a while, the trees were getting thicker and the sky was quickly disappearing. Suddenly, Hagrid shouted, "GET BEHIND THAT TREE!" He seized the three of us and dropped us behind a tree. He had his crossbow raised and was ready to fire it a seconds notice. We all listened and we heard something slithering over leaves nearby...It sounded like a cloak trailed on the dead leaves. After a few seconds, the sound faded away and there was silence.

"I knew it," whispered Hagrid. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."

We walked more slowly, and when a clearing came into view something definitely moved. Hagrid raised his crossbow again and shouted, " Who's there? Show yerself!" A person then walked calmly into the clearing as if he was used to having crossbows pointed at his face. When he came closer, I saw that he was only half human. From the waist up, he was a man, with red hair and below the waist he was a horse with a chestnut body and long tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped open, but I stayed still, trying hard to block the rush of memories that were trying to force there way into my mind, but it didn't work.

_I was seven years old when they brought him in. He was only about four, and he was terrified. I wanted to comfort him, tell him that it was all going to be alright, but I couldn't lie. That night, the whitecoats took him away. He was gone for days and I was started to think he would never come back when the doors opened and the whitecoats came in, holding someone unrecognisable. It was the little boy, but they had changed him. He now had the lower body of a horse. He was in pain, but he couldn't scream. The whitecoats left, giving him disgusted looks as they walked passed. A few hours later, the boy died, and for some reason the whitecoats blamed me. They told me that I should of tried and help him, that it was my fault a little boy was dead. They tortured me and did the most painful experiments on me and it was then that I realized that the little boy had been a test designed for me to see how good I was at saving people. Ever since I have tried to save everyone I could. _

I was brought out of my flashback when Harry shook my shoulder. "Max? Are you alright?" I nodded and looked at Hagrid who was talking to the centaur. It sounded like he was trying to get him to listen. "Yeah, ok Mars is bright Ronan, but have you seen anythin' unusual?" he asked but Ronan just stared at the sky. There was more rustling and another centaur stood beside Ronan. This one was black haired and more wild looking then Ronan.

"Hullo Bane," said Hagrid.

"Hello Hagrid. You are well I hope?" he said and Hagrid looked like he was about to lose his patience. "I'm alright. Look, have you seen anythin' strange lately?" Bane looked at the sky and said in a dreamy voice, "Mars in bright tonight."

"We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "If yeh see anythin', let me know." Hagrid walked off and Harry, Hermione, and I followed him. Hagrid seemed to be in a very bad mood after the encounter with the centaurs. "Never ask a centaur a question, 'cause yer never gonna get a straight answer. Not interested in anythin' except the ruddy stars," he said darkly.

"Are there a lot of them in the Forest?" Hermione asked quietly. "Quite a few. Keep ter themselves and if I want a word, they'll come," Hagrid muttered.

We walked through the dark Forest and I saw Harry looking over his shoulder nervously. I had the feeling someone was watching us. Suddenly Hermione shrieked and grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Hagrid! Look, over there! There were red sparks, the others must be in trouble!"

"Yeh wait here, an' stick on the path! I'll be back for yeh in a moment!" he said and ran off into the trees. We could hear him calling out for the others as he ran, but after a while it all became silent.

"Have they been hurt?" Hermione asked fearfully. "I don't give a crap about Malfoy, but if somethings happened to Fang, or Neville, I'm going to kill Hagrid for ever keeping that stupid dragon!" I said and Harry nodded in agreement. Hermione wasn't listening, she was too busy looking at the space where Hagrid disappeared.

The minutes went by, and I was straining my ears for the tiniest sound, but there was none that indicated Hagrid was returning with the others.

At last, there was a crunching sound and Hagrid reappeared with Fang, Malfoy and Neville. I ran at Fang and pulled him into a hug. Surprisingly, he returned it, and I knew he was probably as worried as I was. It turns out that when Fang wasn't looking, Malfoy had sneaked up behind Neville and scared him, making Neville panic and send up red sparks.

"I'm changin' the groups. Fang, Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione. Max and Harry will go with this moron, and yeh can have Fang the dog," Hagrid said and I glared at the back of Malfoy's head. "I'm sorry, but he'll have a harder time trying ter scare one of yeh," Hagrid whispered before we separated again.

We walked for nearly half an hour and we went deeper and deeper into the Forest. It was getting really cold and I was shivering. The path was becoming almost impossible to follow and the blood that was splattered on the ground was getting thicker. There was a clearing ahead and Harry threw his arm out to stop Malfoy and me from walking further. "Look-" he muttered. I looked to where he was pointing and I saw something gleaming on the ground.

I walked around Harry and walked closer to the clearing. It was the unicorn, but that wasn't the only thing in the clearing.

Out of the shadows came a hooded figure, and it began crawling towards the unicorn. It hadn't noticed me yet, and I stood still, watching as the figure lowered its lips to the gaping wound in the unicorns side and began to drink its blood.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hey, so as I said at the start, I am soooooooo sorry that it took me this long to update. I've been busy. <em>**

**_So what did you think of the chapter? I'll try and get the next part up tomorrow, but I'm not making any promises. Please review and tell me what you think :)_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_P.S has anyone watched A Very Potter Musical on Youtube? It is so funny, and if you haven't seen it, go watch it! :D_**


	12. A Trip to the Forest Part 2

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Hey, so here's part 2 of the last chapter, so tell me what you think review!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Malfoy screamed and he sprinted back the way we came. Fang let out a bark and bolted after him, and they left Harry and I alone with the dead unicorn and the thing drinking its blood. The hooded head lifted and looked right at me. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was looking at me, I just knew. Harry started walking over to me, but his foot got stuck in a tree root.

I turned to help him, but I couldn't move. Something was holding me to that spot, and I couldn't move a muscle. Harry was calling my name over and over again,trying to get me to move away from the hooded figure. Harry was also crying out in pain. When I thought this, it brought me out of my daze and I looked back at him. He had one hand on his foot, trying to free it and the other on his scar. I started to move over to him and when I looked over my shoulder, the figure was on his feet and pointing a wand at Harry. I screamed and ran in front of him, and the last thing I saw was a flash of red.

**_Harry's POV_**

I watched in horror as the hooded figure slowly raised his wand and pointed it at me. My eyes widened and my hand dropped from my forehead as Max ran and took the spell. She fell to the ground, her long dark blonde hair flowing out behind her. She wasn't dead, I thought with relief. Her chest was rising slowly. The man that killed the unicorn was still pointing his wand at Max, and I tried my best to free my foot. I wasn't going to let him hurt her anymore.

After several more seconds, I finally managed to free my leg and I fell down at Max's side. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the wand being pointed at me and I stood up drew out my own wand. I didn't know what I was going to do, but at least I felt better with it in my hand.

Then, out of nowhere, the pain in my forehead magnified and I cried out. I shut my eyes against the pain. I heard hooves behind me, and I felt something jump over me. It sounded like it was charging at the figure. After a few minutes, the pain subsided and I opened my eyes. There was a centaur standing in the clearing and the hooded figure was gone. The centaur wasn't Ronan or Bane, but this one looked younger. He was gazing at Max and said in a soft, gentle voice, "She will be fine. She will awake in a few minutes. Are you alright Harry Potter?"

I wasn't even surprised that a half-horse man knew who I was. Everyone seemed to know who I was, and only for something I can't remember.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said and glanced down at Max again. "Are you sure she's going to be alright?" The centaur nodded, but that didn't reassure me. I wouldn't believe Max was alright until she woke up and was able to stand. I stared at her and thought how lucky I was to have a friend like her. She was nice, funny, and next to Hermione she was the best in the year. She was also incredibly brave and loyal, and she would do anything to save her friends. She became more distant when Jeb died, and also more serious.

Max stirred on the ground and I dropped to the ground at her side again. She opened her eyes and I smiled. I helped her sit up and I hugged her.

"Are you OK Harry?" she asked and I nodded. I was so happy that she was OK, I completely forgot about the reason that she was knocked out in the first place. She leaped to her feet and looked around the clearing. Her brown eyes stopped on the centaur and she asked, "Who are you?" The centaur bowed low and said, "My name is Firenze. And what is your name Miss?"

"I'm Max Ride," Max said Firenze looked surprised.

"One of the Wing Children? Yes, I have seen a lot about you and your flock, Miss Ride. You have had hard lives, but it will better from now on." he said and Max looked shocked. She started looking around the clearing again, keeping her bright eyes on Firenze.

I put a hand on her shoulder and said, "He's gone. Er, Firenze scared him off," I looked back at Firenze and said, "Who was that anyway?"

"You can't think of anyone that would go to such extremes as to drink the blood of the unicorn?" he asked and I remember Hagrid saying don't try to get a straight answer out of a centaur.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"To kill a unicorn is a terrible crime. They are such pure, beautiful creatures. And to drink the blood of a unicorn will save you from death even if you are only a few seconds from dying. But, you will live a cursed life, a half live, and you will never be the same. I can only think of one person who would do such a thing," Firenze explained. I frowned, trying to think of who would want such a life, but Max figured it out before me.

"That was Voldemort," she said, and it wasn't a question but a statement. Firenze nodded and I swallowed hard.

"Are you aware, Mr Potter and Miss Ride, what is in Hogwarts at this very minute?" he asked and I gasped. "The Philosophers Stone!" Max looked confused and Firenze continued, "Yes, the Philosophers Stone. Now, are you able to ride? It will be quicker and I can take you back to Hagrid."

He lowered himself as low so that he could and I clambered onto his back. Max climbed on behind me and put her arms around my waist and my stomach did back-flips. I looked over my shoulder and looked at Max. She was looking down and while I stared at her, I realised something that made me look back at the back of Firenze's head.

I had a crush on Maximum Ride.

**_Max's POV_**

I sat on Firenze's back and looked at my knees. When I woke up on the Forest floor, the first thing I saw was Harry's eyes. It was then that I realised something that made me really embarrassed.

I had a crush on Harry Potter.

Firenze started running and I tightened my grip on Harry's waist. We rode for a while, and then Firenze stopped so suddenly that if I hadn't been holding onto Harry as tight as I was, I would of fallen off his back. We were surrounded by centaurs, and they all looked furious. I recognized Bane and Ronan in the front.

"FIRENZE!" bellowed Bane and he looked like he was after eating something extremely sour. "What are you doing? There are two humans on your back! Your acting like a common mule!"

"Do you not know who one of these humans are? This is Harry Potter! And the girl is lucky enough to be his friend!" I didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered at that comment. "The quicker he leaves the Forest, the better!"

"And what have you been telling the children?" growled Bane. "You must remember that we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens! Have we not read what is coming?" Ronan looked very nervous and he pawed at the ground. "Maybe Firenze thought he was doing what was right," he said quietly. Bane only got angrier. "The _best?" _ he shouted and the shout vibrated against my eardrums. "It is not a centaurs duty to act like donkeys to stupid humas who get lost in our Forest!"

Firenze suddenly kicked out his back legs in anger and I had to grab onto Harry so tight that Harry actually winced. "Have you not seen the unicorn?" Firenze yelled. "Do you not know why it is dead? Or have the planets not told you? I fight against what is lurking, unwanted, in the Forest, and if that means I have humans on my back, well so be it." He whisked around and plunged off into the trees.

I didn't have a clue what that was about. Apparently, I wasn't the only one because a moment later, Harry shouted, "Why is Bane so angry?"

Firenze slowed to a walk but didn't answer Harry's question. He kept walking and there was silence until-

"_Max! Harry! _Are you alright?" It was Hermione and she was running over to us. Firenze lowered his back and we landed on the ground. Hagrid ran after her, and then Fang, Neville and Malfoy.

"We're fine" said Harry. He looked at Hagrid. "The unicorns dead, Hargid. Its back there in that clearing." Hagrid nodded and walked off in the direction that Harry pointed at.

"I must leave you now Harry Potter and Max Ride. You are safe now. Good luck." Firenze said and before we could say thanks, he ran off in a different direction, leaving Harry and me shivering with everyone else giving us weird looks.

* * *

><p>When we walked back into the common room an hour later, after having a few cups of tea with Hagrid, we found Ron and Iggy asleep. Iggy had his head on Ron's shoulder and Ron had his arm thrown over the back to the couch. Both of them were snoring loudly. I looked at Fang and said, "How do you sleep?" Fang smiled and shrugged.<p>

Harry was busy trying to wake up Ron and Iggy, but he wasn't having much luck. I rolled my eyes and walked over and leaned down so that my mouth was next to Iggy's ear.

"Iggy," I said softly, "WAKE THE BLOODY HELL UP!" I shouted and Iggy jumped and landed face first on the carpet and Ron went sprawling behind the couch. Harry and Fang were laughing and Hermione was smiling, but she looked worried. Iggy and Ron began shouting death-treats and I told them to shut up and listen.

Harry and I began telling them all what happened in the Forest. Harry was pacing up and down in front of the fire, and I saw that he was still shaking. So was I.

"And so," Harry finished, "I think Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort, and Voldemort's waiting in the Forest. We were thinking the whole time that Snape wanted the Stone for himself, but he wants it for Voldemort-"

"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a horrified whisper.

"Firenze saved us," I continued ignoring Ron. "But Bane was crazy mad when he saw Firenze with humans on his back. Bane said something like `Have you not seen whats coming'. They must of saw Voldemort coming back, by using the Stone. Bane thought Firenze should of let Voldemort kill me and Harry."

"Will you stop saying the name!" hissed Ron, but once again, everyone ignored him. "So now all we have to do is wait for Voldemort to come back and he'll kill me," said Harry, and he finally sat down next to Fang. Harry looked like he was calm, but I could see the panic and fear in his eyes.

Even though Hermione looked terrified, she had something good to say.

"Listen Harry, whos the one person everyone says You-Know-Who is frightened of? Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore is here, your safe. Everyone is, and You-Know-Who can't touch you. Besides, Professor McGonagall says that fortune-telling is very imprecise. Your safe here Harry." she said and Harry smiled slightly.

We stayed up all night talking about what would happen if Voldemort did come back. Ron reckoned he would probably try to take over the world, and fail miserably. Hermione said that he would try to control Hogwarts, but that the teachers would stop him. Harry said that he would most likely try and kill him, but that it would never happen because he could use his Invisibility Cloak. Fang was asleep so we skipped him,and Iggy just said something so stupid that we were laughing for what felt like hours.

"I think that Voldemort would try and hook up with Snape and then they'd go off and have super-evil babies with greasy hair together. Then they'd try and adopt Harry and then they'd kidnap Dumbledore and force him to teach them how to make pancakes."

I didn't say what I thought, because I didn't want to make everyone scared. I knew for a fact that when Voldemort came back to power, he would take over the wizarding world and try his best to kill Harry. I don't know what would happen after that.

All I knew was that when Voldemort came after Harry, I was going to help Harry as much as I could.

**_Its really crap I know, but it will get better I swear. Now, I'm gonna answer some reviews. _**

**_To Ukko (Lauren), I am going to do all the books, Snape is not Max's dad, and she finds out who her dad is in the third one, and I'm sorry but Max isn't going to be in the Tournament, and thanks your my best friend too! :)_**

**_To Max Artemis Potter, as I said, Max finds out about her dad in the 3rd one. _**

**_And to LeoDaLion, I've seen the sequel and I think Draco being played by a girl is freaking hilarious! GO PIGFARTS! :) Lol_**

**_Anyway, thanks for the reviews and please review some more! :D_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	13. The Race For the Stone Starts

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey, so when this is over, year two is going to be a different story, and it will be called Don't think, just do it; Year 2._**

**_I don't know when I'll be able to start it, but hopefully it will be soon. This isn't the last chapter of Year 1, I just thought I'd write that._**

**_Enjoy the chapter! :D_**

**_-Rach xxx_**

**_Max's POV_**

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad! I thought it was easy actually," I was saying to Fang as we left our Transfiguration exam. It was really hard to concentrate on the tests as the classroom was boiling hot. And I kept expecting Voldemort to burst through the doors at any minute. Fang glared at me and I kept quiet. Harry, Ron and Iggy were trying to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion, and Hermione was looking over the exam sheet. Even though Snape hated me and I know he wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I was a natural at Potions.

After a short break, we went into the dungeons and started making our potions. Snape was gliding around the classroom like an overgrown bat and was making everyone nervous. He passed my cauldron, which had a perfect potion in it, and then glided away without comment. I clenched my jaw and continued working.

Every now and then, I'd glance at Harry. I was confused about this crush, and didn't know what do about it. I considered telling Hermione, but pushed that thought straight from my mind. I wasn't going to tell anyone about my crush.

Our last exam was History of Magic, so we had to stay in a hot classroom writing about batty old wizards, and we'd be free for the rest of term.

When Professor Binns told us to put our quills down, everyone started cheering. We went down to the lake, and watched as the giant squid ate the bits of food that Lee Jordon was throwing into the water. We started talking about our new-found freedom, and suddenly Harry snapped, "I wish I knew what it meant! My scar keeps hurting- its happened before but it was never this sore."

"Maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey," Fang suggested and Hermione nodded, looking up from Hogwarts A History.

"But its not like I'm sick," Harry said, rubbing his scar. "I think it means dangers coming," he said darkly.

"Well thats lovely," Iggy said sarcastically as he lay on his back with his eyes closed. "That's all we need now- more danger." I smiled grimly and looked at Harry. Ron looked worried but said calmly, "Harry mate, relax. Hermiones right, the Stone is safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Besides, we never had real proof that it was Snape trying to steal it."

"Well, its hardly Quirrell trying to get it," said Fang,and everyone laughed. But that brought something to my mind. But as soon as I focused on it, it slipped away. Harry nodded but didn't look reassured. After a few seconds though, he jumped to his feet.

"What are you doing?" I asked and Harry looked very pale. "I just thought of something. Come on, were going to Hagrid's," he said, and without waiting for us started running off towards Hagrid's hut. We scrambled up and ran after him. "Why are we going to Hagrid's?" Iggy asked.

"Don't you think its really weird that what Hagrid wants more then anything else is a dragon, and some stranger turns up with one in his bloody pocket?" Harry panted. "How many people walk around giving blokes dragons? Uh, why didn't I think of it before?"

"What are you on about?" Fang asked but Harry only started sprinting faster and didn't answer. Hagrid was sitting on a chair outside his house peeling potatoes. "Hullo," he said brightly. "Yeh finish yer exams today? Want a drink?" he asked and Ron nodded but Harry said, "No, sorry but were in a hurry. I need to ask you something. Who gave you Norbert?"

Hagrid looked startled at the question and said, "Dunno, he kept 'is hood up." We all shared stunned looks and raised our eyebrows at Hagrid.

"Well, its not that odd," he said shifting from foot to foot. "Yeh get weird folks in the Hogs Head, I'll tell yeh that. Its a pud up in the village." Harry knelt down next to the large piles of potatoes and said, "What did you talk about? Did you talk about Hogwarts?"

Hagrid frowned, "Mighta come up...Can't 'member ter be honest...Yeah, he asked me what I did, an' I told him I was the gamekeeper an' told 'im bout the animals I look after. Told 'im I always wanted a dragon, an' well... Can't 'member much, he kept buyin' me drinks. He told me he had a dragon egg an' I could play cards fer it, an' he asked me if I could handle a dragon, an' I told him after Fluffy a dragon wasn't gonna be a problem."

"And he seemed interested in Fluffy?" Fang asked keeping his voice calm. "O' course he was interested in Fluffy! How many three-headed dogs d'yeh know? Anyway, I told him Fluffy's real easy if yeh know how ter calm him. Just play music an' he falls ter sleep-" he stopped and his warm eyes widened in horror.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that- Where are yeh going?" he called but we were already running back to the castle. We didn't speak until we were in the Entrance Hall and Harry said, "We have to tell Dumbledore. It was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak, and it was probably easy to get Hagrid to talk once he was drunk. I just hope he believes us...Wheres Dumbledore's office anyway?"

"This way," I said. I didn't want to go back in there, the place where I was told Jeb was dead, but I had no choice. While we ran, I heard Iggy saying to Ron, "I bet Hagrid's a fun drunk. We should go drinking with him sometime." Ron agreed and I rolled my eyes.

We raced down the corridors and stopped in front of the stone gargoyle. I racked my brains to think of the password McGonagall used, and said, "Exploding bon-bons!" But nothing happened. The gargoyle stayed lifeless and I turned back helplessly to the others. "He changed the password," stated Ron. "Really? I didn't notice!" I snapped.

"Now what?" Hermione asked. "We go to McGonagall. She might know the new password." We ran back the way to the Entrance Hall and we were just about to climb the staircase when a voice rang around the Hall.

"Why are you all inside?" McGonagall asked sharply. She was holding an armful of books and she looked very tired. "We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione bravely.

"Why would you want to do that?" McGonagall asked. "Er...Its kinda a secret," said Harry lamely. McGonagall's nostrils flared and she walked closer to us.

"Professor Dumbledore left a few minutes ago for the Ministry of Magic. He received an owl and left straight away for London." she said and Harry's jaw dropped.

"He's _gone?_" said Fang, looking shocked and angry. "Albus Dumbledore is an amazing wizard, Martinez and has many demands." McGonagall said, straightening her pile of books.

"But this is really important-" began Iggy but McGonagall raised her hand, only using one hand on the books. "More important then the Ministry, Griffiths?"

Harry lost his cool and said, "It's about the Philosophers Stone!" Whatever McGonagall was expecting it wasn't that. The books fell out of her hands and landed on the floor with a large bang. "How do you-" she spluttered.

"Someones going to try and steal it! We need to talk to Dumbledore!" Harry urged. "Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow. I don't know how you possibly found out about the Stone, but it is very well protected. Nov one could steal it," McGonagall said as she bent down and began picking up the books.

"But-"

"Miss Ride, I know what I'm talking about. You should go outside and enjoy the sun." She walked back in the direction of her office. Harry wheeled around and started talking very fast.

"It's tonight. Snape's going to try and get the Stone tonight. He sent a fake message to Dumbledore to get him out of the school. The Ministry will be really confused when he shows up." Hermione looked frighted and she said, "But what can we do-"

Ron gasped and we looked around. Snape was standing behind us. "Good evening," he said calmly. We all stared at him.

"Why are you in on such a beautiful day?" he asked. I never thought I would Snape say the word _beautiful._ "We were-" I started, with no idea what I was going to say. "You should be more careful, Miss Ride. Hanging around inside, people will think you were up to something."

We turned to go, but Snape called over, "I should warn you, any more night time strolls and I will personally get you expelled. Good day," and he walked through the door that led to the staff room.

Harry turned to us and whispered, "Right, one of us should keep an eye on Snape. Hermione, you can do that. Just wait outside the staff room and follow him when he leaves."

Hermione nodded, and had a determined look on her face and went to the staff room. The rest of us went to the third-floor corridor and stood outside the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school. But this didn't work out the way we hoped. No sooner were we outside the door, did McGonagall come walking down the corridor. When she saw us, she went mad. She threatened to take fifty points from Gryffindor if we didn't leave, so we walked bsck to the common room to wait for Hermione.

A while later, Hermione came through the portrait hole.

"I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "Snape came out of the staff room and asked me what I was doing. I told him I wanted to see Flitwick, then he went back in to get him! I just got away and I don't know where he went!"

"Well, we know what we have to do," said Harry. We all looked at him in confusion. He sighed and said, "I'm going down there tonight and I'm getting the Stone before Snape." He was pale and his eyes were glittering. "No way!" said Ron and Hermione said "You can't! You'll get expelled!"

"I don't care!" shouted Harry. "Don't you understand what will happen if Voldemort gets the Stone? Have you not heard what it was like when he was taking over? There won't be a Hogwarts, he'll manipulate it! Losing points doesn't matter, what does matter is doing whatever I can to stop Voldemort coming back! He won't leave your families alone if we win the House Cup, and if I get caught trying to get the Stone, then I'll go back to the Dursley's and just wait for him to find me there. I am not going over to the Dark Side! I'm getting that Stone before Snape does so don't try and stop me! Voldemort killed my parents remember?" He glared at us and we stared back.

"Your right Harry," Hermione said.

"I could use the Invisibility Cloak, they can't catch me then. It's lucky I got back," he said. "Will it cover the six of us?" I asked and Harry looked at me as if I told him I wanted to date Malfoy. "The-the six of us?" he said looking at everyone.

"You didn't think we'd let you alone did you?" said Iggy. "Hell no, were going too," said Fang, grinning.

"But, if we get caught..."

"Oh shut up Harry! Were coming with you whether you like it or not so stop arguing!" I said and Harry smiled gratefully but I knew he still didn't want us to go with him. Well tough luck, Potter, I thought as we made our way down to dinner.

After we ate, we sat awkwardly in the common room, waiting until everyone was gone. Hermione was looking at her notes, trying to find something useful. We didn't talk much, and finally the room emptied as everyone went to bed. Harry hurried upstairs to get the Cloak, and came down a few minutes later with not only the Cloak, but a flute as well.

"Whats the flute for?" I whispered as Harry covered us all with the Cloak _(AN Lets just say the cloak is wayyyy bigger then it really is) _

"Well unless you want to sing to Fluffy were going to need this to put him to sleep," he said and after a few short minutes, we were outside the door on the third-floor corridor. The door stood ajar. Snape is already there. Harry tried to convince us to leave again, but it didn't work. We walked into the corridor and Fluffy's three heads lifted and started smelling the air.

Harry put the flute to his lips and started playing. He wasn't that bad actually. The dog fell asleep and Ron, Fang and Iggy started moving it's paw away from the trapdoor. "Right," said Iggy as Fang opened the door. "Who wants to go first?" I looked into the trapdoor and I couldn't see anything but black.

Harry wanted to go first, so he gave the flute to Hermione and she started playing. Harry lowered himself on the trapdoor and then dropped. We waited for a few seconds, then he shouted, "Its Ok! You can jump!"

I took a shaky breath and lowered myself on the trapdoor and then I let go.

**_Hey, I know its really crap...Anyway, please review and I might have the next chapter up tomorrow! _**

**_REVIEW PLEASE! :D_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	14. The Chessboard

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey! I didn't get a lot of reviews in the last chapter, so please review on this one, and the last chapter!_**

**_Enjoy the chapter, and if it's crap, i am sorry._**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

I fell for what felt like an eternity. I considered pulling out my wings and flying down the rest of way, but just as I began to unfold them, I landed on something soft. It felt like a plant. "Harry?" I whispered. "Max? Are you ok?"

"Yeah..."

One by one the other boys began to drop down, landing sprawled around me and Harry. I let my eyes adjust to the gloom, and saw Hermione wasn't down yet.

"Hermione? You have to jump!" I shouted, and I heard the flute stop and Fluffy started growling. Hermione landed next to me, looking around the room. She frowned, looking at the plant thing under our feet. Then, she shrieked and struggled over to the wall. She had to struggle because the plant had started twisting around her legs. I looked down at my own feet and saw my legs completely covered with the plant thing. I looked at it closer and realized what it was.

"This is Devil's Snare!" I shouted and Hermione looked frightened. Me, Harry, Fang, Ron and Iggy started fighting against it, trying to free ourselves, but the more we fought against it, the tighter it would get, and it would start moving up our bodies faster too. The plant was at my chest, and I couldn't breath before Hermione suddenly shouted, "Stop moving! I'm trying to think of how to kill it! What did Professor Sprout say...? It likes the dark and the damp..." she trailed off with a thoughtful look on her face, and I started getting lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. I was the only one with the Devil's Snare this high, or this tight, so I was the only one trying to breath. Ron seemed to notice because he shouted, "Then light a bloody fire! Hurry, Max is going purple!"

I fell onto my back, and I stopped fighting against the plant. I distantly heard Hermione saying, "I would but I can't see any wood..."

"WOOD?" Iggy bellowed. "HAVE YOU GONE INSANE HERMIONE? ARE YOU A BLOODY WITCH OR NOT?" I could tell Hermione was blushing, and she said quietly, "Uh right, yeah..."

The next second, I saw blue fire and I felt the Devil's Snare loosening its hold. I took a shaky breath, then a stronger one, and started getting my breathing back to normal. I stood up and Harry looked at me, concerned. "Are you alright?" I nodded and gave him a small smile. He got a weird look on his face, but I just thought it was shock from nearly being killed by a plant.

Harry looked away and looked at Hermione instead. "Lucky you listen in Herbology, Hermione." She smiled and said, "Well, Max found out it was Devil's Snare before I did, so you should thank her as well." "Well your the one that remembered they hate heat and warmth. I didn't remember that," I said and Hermione shrugged and looked around the room.

"Come on," I said and led the way down the stone passageway, with Harry beside me. It seemed weird, but I relaxed slightly when I saw him walking with me. There was water dripping down from the walls, and the walls were slightly green, which made me think we were under the lake.

"Can you hear that?" Iggy asked, his unseeing eyes wide with excitement. We all listened, and sure enough I heard a familiar sound. "Is it a ghost?" Harry asked, and I shook my head.

"There wings," I said.

We reached the end of the passageway and met a door. The sounds of wings were louder now, coming from the other side of the door. Fang opened the door into a bright chamber, with an arched ceiling. The chamber was full of small, bright birds, fluttering all around the large room. There was a heavy door on the other side of the chamber.

"Would they attack us if we tried to cross the room?" Hermione asked, eyeing the birds. "Maybe," I said, "They might all swoop down together. Well, nothing for it. I'll run," I finished, and covering my head with my hands, ran across the room to the door on the other side. I kept expecting to feel beaks and claws tearing at me, but nothing came. I stopped outside the door and turned around. Everyone was where I left them, and when I beckoned them over, they all ran. I tried opening the door but it didn't open. We tried _Alohamora_ but nothing worked.

"Guys...the birds aren't birds," said Fang. I turned to him and said, "What the hell are you on about?" He pointed at the birds and said, "Look at them. They're keys, not birds. One of them is for this door." Harry's gaze swept around the room, and landed on the broomsticks we handed noticed earlier in the corner. "Yes! Broomsticks! We have to catch the key for the door," he said, his eyes blazing.

"But there are only three," said Ron as we walked over to the brooms. I laughed and Iggy said, "Mate, I think your forgetting something small about the three of us." Me, Fang and Iggy all whipped our wings out, and once again, Harry Ron and Hermione looked transfixed. I hissed impatiently and Harry nodded and said, "Were looking for an old fashioned one, maybe silver like the handle, and it will be big, and if Snape already caught it and stuffed it in the door, then it will be slower then the other keys and a wing might be broken." I saw Fang wince and I laughed. Harry Ron and Hermione looked confused, so I elaborated, much to Fang's annoyance.

"When we were learning how to fly a few years ago, Fang wasn't looking where he was going and he flew straight into a tree. Then he fell to the ground and broke one of his wings. That's why he's not a very good flyer," I added in a carrying whisper and Fang glared at me. Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed onto the broomsticks and Fang, Iggy and I took a running start and joined them in the air.

I hovered in the air for a minute, looking for the key Harry had described. I saw it up by the ceiling, and I was just about to shout to the others when Harry did first. "There! That one! The feathers are all messed up on one side!" Ron started speeding in the direction Harry was pointing. But Ron crashed into the ceiling and nearly fell off his broom.

"Harry- we have to close in on it!" Fang shouted. Harry nodded and shouted, "Ron, Max stay on it from above, Hermione and Iggy stay below and stop it from going down, Fang, try and case it towards me! GO!"

Ron and I dived, Hermione and Iggy shot up, and how Iggy knew what he was doing was a wonder I would never know. Fang shot in from the side, and Harry came from the other side. For a minute, I thought we were all going to crash, but Harry caught it, and we all flew towards the ground. Our cheers echoed around the chamber as Harry pushed the key into the lock. "Ready?" Harry asked, and we nodded.

He pushed the door open into darkness. We walked in one by one, Harry in the front and Fang bringing up the rear. Iggy hooked his finger into the belt loop on my jeans. As we stepped further into the room, light flooded the large room and we all gasped, apart from Iggy who sighed impatiently. I looked at the large chessboard and chessmen, and began telling Iggy where we were. He looked astounded. The black chessmen were closer to us, and way across the chamber, stood the white chessmen. We all shivered when we looked at the pieces- none of them had faces.

"What do we do?" whispered Hermione fearfully.

"Well, its kinda obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We have to play our way across the chessboard and get out on the other side. I can see the door behind the white pieces." Hermione gave the chessmen a scared look and said, "How?"

"I think we have to be chessmen," said Iggy. Ron nodded and walked up to the knight and put out a hand to touch it. As soon as his hand connected with the cold stone, it sprang to life. If Ron was startled, he hid it well.

"Do we have to play to get across?" he asked the knight. I was staring at Ron as if he was insane. He was asking a piece of stone a question- My thoughts stopped when the knight nodded. I felt my mouth drop, but closed it quickly. Ron turned back to us and said, "We have to take the place of three black pieces." We all stayed quiet while Ron looked at the black chessmen, then he turned back to us. "No offence but your all rubbish at chess-" Ron started, but Fang cut across him and said, "Yeah were crap we know, just tell us what to do!"

"Right, Harry and Iggy take the bishops place, Hermione and Max can take the place of the castles at the end, and Fang can take the place of the other knight down there. I'll take this one, " he said pointing to the one he had talked to. The pieces were obviously listening, because all the pieces he called left the board and stood by the wall. We all took the empty squares and waited for Ron to give more orders.

He felt us all looking at him and he said, "White moves first, why are you looking at me?" Sure enough, five seconds later, a white pawn had moved by two squares. Ron directed our pieces around, and the first bad thing happened about five minutes into the game.

The knight was taken out.

Which meant Fang.

Ron was shouting an order for one of the pawns for there next move and didn't notice the white knight gliding towards Fang. Fang saw it going to him, but remained quiet and still. When the other knight was right in front of him, he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, bracing himself for the pain. The knight raised his hand, and I couldn't help myself. I cried, "Fang!" Ron looked over at Fang and shouted something, but it was drowned out by Fang's scream of pain as he fell to the floor. He remained motionless, and the white knight dragged him off the chessboard, and I saw blood on Fang's face, and there was blood on the floor where he lay. Ron swore. I closed my eyes and did my best not to look at him again. But I couldn't help myself looking over every few minutes.

I was relived to see his chest rising and falling slowly. I looked back at the game. Ron was really good, I thought. We were taking almost as much white pieces as they took black pieces. I was looking intently at Ron, trying to figure out what he was planning on doing next.

"I've got to be taken," Ron whispered as the white queen stared at him. "It's the only way."

"NO!" We all shouted together. I looked at Fang again, and he looked so vulnerable. "This is chess!" he shouted back. "You make sacrifices! I go forward and she takes me, then your free to check the king, Harry!"

"Ron, I knew you were crazy but this-" Iggy started but Ron shouted, "Do you want to stop Snape getting the Stone? If you don't hurry up, he'll have it, and then he'll go bring You-Know-who back and they'll go live happily ever after together, while taking over the bloody world!" We stayed silent, and Ron, looking pale and determined, said, "Don't wait long after we've won."

Ron stepped forward, his bright red hair glowing in the torch light, and the queen went up to him and struck him around the head with her stone arm. He crashed to the floor, but it looked like Fang got it worse then Ron. Hermione screamed, and the queen dragged Ron over to the side and threw him down next to Fang like a rag-doll.

Harry was shaking as he stepped in front of the king. The king threw his crown at Harry's feet. We'd won. The chessmen bowed, and left, leaving the door ahead clear. Iggy was staring blindly into the space where he heard Fang and Ron being dropped and he looked back at us with a serious expression that was almost never on his face.

"I'm going to stay here with Fang and Ron. You three go ahead, I'll make sure they're fine." I was about to ask if he meant it, but by the look on his dust covered face, I knew he was.

"Ok, Ig. Please be careful and don't blow anything up. McGonagall still doesn't forgive you for blowing up that toilet on the fourth-floor after Christmas," I said as I hugged him tight. He hugged me back, then hugged Hermione and did a guy-hug with Harry, with all the back-thumping. Iggy walked slowly over to the wall, and we walked over to the door.

"What do you think is going to be next?" Harry asked.

"Well, we've had Sprout with the Devil's Snare, Flitwick must have the keys and McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive. Thats leaves Quirrell and Snape, " Hermione answered, counting off her fingers. We reached the door, and I pushed it open.

A horrid smell was in this chamber, and it made my eyes water. I looked around the chamber, and saw the source of the smell. There was a troll on the ground, out cold with a lump on his head. This one was bigger then the one from Halloween.

"Come, on. I can't breath," I said and we walked passed the troll and through the next door. The only thing in this room was a small table full of potions. Snape's. "What do we have to do?" I asked as we stepped closer to the table. As soon as we stepped away from the door,purple fire sprang up behind them, and black fire in front of the door that would lead us onwards. We were trapped.

"Look! Theres parchment on the table!" Hermione said and she seized a roll of parchment. She read out a complicated riddle, that meant three of the seven bottles on the table were poison, two were wine, one to get us through the black fire and one to get us through the purple fire. The thing was, which were which?

Hermione was beaming at the thought of a logic, and looked at me as if I might know the answer. "Don't look at me," I said, "I grew up in a cage, I know nothing about logic."

Hermione read the riddle over and over again, and finally she said, "Got it!" She moved closer to the table and said, "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire. To the Stone."

Me and Harry looked at the bottle she had pointed at. "There only enough for two."

"Which one gets you through the purple flames?" I asked, Hermione pointed to a rounded bottle. I picked it up and shoved it at Hermione. "You drink this one, and me and Harry will go get the Stone."

She looked offended, and before she could say anything, I said, "Hermione please! You are my best friend and I don't want you to get hurt. Please take the freaking potion before I force it down you throat. Go back to Iggy, he's really upset right now. Fang and Ron are like his brothers. Go back Hermione!"

She seemed reluctant, but after a few seconds silence, but she was going to drink the potion when Harry said, "Hermione!." She lowered the bottle and raised and eyebrow. "Grab the brooms from where all the keys are, go through the trapdoor and go straight to the Owlery. Send Hedwig, Freedom, Grenade or Stygian to Dumbledore, we need him. Me and Max might be able to hold Snape off for a while."

"What if You-Know-Whos with him?" she asked. That never occured to me before. "Well, I was lucky once before, wasn't I? I might get lucky again," Harry said. Hermione's lip trembled and she ran at me and Harry and she threw her arms around the both of us.

"Your a great wizard Harry, and your a great witch Max," she said and held us tighter. I blushed, and I knew Harry was too. "Well- were not anyway near as good as you are, Hermione," I said and she laughed and pulled away.

"Me? Books, and cleverness. There are more important things- better things, like friendship, loyalty, and bravery. And of course, im Max's case we have to add in attitude problem!" we laughed and Hermione drank her potion and hurried to the door. She turned back and said, "Be careful!" We nodded and she walked through the fire and out the door.

Harry picked up the smallest potion and opened it. He took a sip, then handed the bottle to me. I drank what awas left- which wasn't a lot- and together we walked through the black fire and through the door on the other side.

We entered the last chamber, and it was largest of all, but for a minute I thought it was empty. But as I looked around the room, I saw The Mirror of Erised standing in the middle of the room and in front of the mirror, was a man.

It wasn't Snape.

It wasn't Voldemort.

It was Professor Quirrell.

**_Wow, this is one of the longest chapters I've written... Anyway, what did you guys think? was it good?_**

**_was is complete crap? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!_**

**_next chapter might be up tomorrow or not, but it will be up soon because I have no life so I can do this all day long :D _**

**_remember to REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;) xxx_**


	15. The Man with the Secrets

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Hey, so here is the new chapter, enjoy and REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

I stared at Quirrell as he slowly turned around. When he looked at me and Harry with those cold, dead eyes, I remembered the thing I have been trying to remember for months.

I was standing in the snow by the lake, crying and I heard voices. It was Quirrell and he was talking to Voldemort about...about killing Jeb...then they say me and he threw me against a tree...He killed Jeb...It's his fault...

I glared at Quirrell and pointed my wand at him. I was no match for a grown wizard, especially one that works for Voldemort, but I had to try something. Harry was staring between me and Quirrell, completely flabbergasted. _(AN hehe i love that word!)_

"Max...what are you doing?" Harry whispered. I ignored him and opened my mouth to shout a spell, but Quirrell whipped out him wand, and my wand was pulled out of my grip and flew straight into Quirrell's outstretched hand. Harry looked at Quirrell and gasped, "_You!"_

Quirrell smiled, twirling my wand between him fingers. I glared at him, and trust me, if looks could kill, he'd be dead a hundred times over. "Yes, Potter. Me," he said calmly. I wanted nothing more then to whip that calm smile of his face. "But," Harry spluttered, "I thought- Snape-"

"Yes," Quirrell chuckled happily, and continued as if we were talking about the weather, "He does seem the type to want to steal the Stone, doesn't he? Beside him, who would suspect of the p-poor s-s-stuttering P-professor Q-Quirrell?" Harry looked like he couldn't believe it, but I believed every word.

"Harry," I said, without taking my eyes of Quirrell, "This insane dumbass is the one that killed Jeb. He's working for Voldemort. He's the one that attacked me on Christmas, and I heard them both talking."

Harry turned to me, looking very angry and he snapped, "You could of told me this before Max! Why are you telling me now? Are you working for them too?" He took a step back from me, and I felt really hurt. Before I could explain, Quirrell said,

"Now, now Harry. It's not the little freaks fault. You see, when she hit her head off that tree, she suffered short-term memory lose, and couldn't remember me or my Master there at all, until now." Harry looked from me to Quirrell and when he saw my hurt expression he stepped closer to me and said, "I'm sorry."

I nodded and looked back at Quirrell. Harry frowned again, and I said, "Hang on- Snape tried to kill Harry!" Quirrell laughed and said, "No stupid girl! Severus didn't try and kill Harry! I did!" My mouth dropped open and Harry shouted, "Don't call Max stupid- wait, what? It was you?"

"Of course it was me! Miss Granger knocked me over in her haste to set Severus' cloak on fire, and I broke my eye contact. Another few seconds, and I would of had you off that broom, and you'd be dead, then if Snape hadn't been muttering his counter-curse to save you," he said, sneering.

"Snape tried to save me?" Harry said, taking a step forward. I grabbed his collar and dragged him back to stand beside me again.

"Well of course. Why do you think he wanted to referee the next match? He wanted to make sure I didn't try it again. Wasted effort, if you ask me. I couldn't of done anything with Dumbledore around. And all the other teachers thought he was just trying to stop your House from winning. He was unpopular. But, no matter seeing as I'm going to kill you tonight, Potter. But first, I think I'll kill Miss Ride, and make you watch," he coolly. He snapped his fingers and robes shot up out of the ground and bound Harry before he could move. Ropes shot up to get me too, but I whipped out my wings and flew into the air. But Quirrell pointed his wand at me when I was under the ceiling, and ropes shot out and tied themselves around me. I dropped to the floor, and cried out in pain and I landed badly on my right leg and I felt it snap.

Quirrell was looking at my wings with surprise. I was panting from the pain in my leg and I thought it was odd, because didn't Jeb tell us Dumbledore told all the staff about our wings. "Why are you surprised?" I said. Quirrell removed his hand and said, "I did not believe it was true. I thought Dumbledore was losing his touch, and was going mad."

"Dumbledore was always mad," I said. Harry grunted as he tried to get the ropes off him, and Quirrell looked at us, with a look of utter disgust. None of them knew my leg was broken.

"Your too nosy to live Harry Potter and Maximum Ride. Going around the school at night, on Halloween...For all I know, you and your good-for-nothing friends saw me going to check on what was guarding the Stone."

"You let in the troll?" Harry gasped.

"Certainly. I quite skilled with trolls-" Quirrell began but I laughed, "Skilled with trolls? Thats a lovely thing to be skilled with. Tell me Professor, is that why you smell like a troll yourself?" With a roar of rage, Quirrell shot a curse at me- with my own wand- but he missed and it hit the wall over my head.

Quirrell looked back at Harry. "Snape suspected me and headed to the third-floor corridor to head me off. Not only did the troll fail to kill you, the three-headed-dog didn't even ripe of Severus' leg properly.

"Wait quietly, Potter. I want to examine this Mirror." He turned his back to us, and only then did Harry gasp. He only saw the Mirror now.

Quirrell was muttering to himself. "This is how I get the Stone. Leave it to Dumbledore to think of something like this. But he's in London..."

Harry blurted out, "I saw you and Snape in the Forest-" Quirrell walked around the back of the mirror and said, "Yes, he was on to me by that time and he was trying to frighten me. To get me to tell him how far I had gotten. He couldn't of course- I have Lord Voldemort on my side."

Quirrell came around and stared into the mirror again, and muttered, "I see myself giving the Stone to my Master. But how do I _get_ it?"

I finally caught on to what Harry was trying to do. Keep Quirrell from concentrating on the Mirror. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I said, "But me and Harry heard you sobbing- we thought Snape was threatening you..."

For the first time, Quirrell looked scared. "Sometimes," he whimpered, "It is difficult to follow my Masters orders. He is great and I am weak-"

"He was in the classroom with you?" Harry asked, looking frightened, but amazed.

"He is with me wherever I go," Quirrell said. Wow, Voldemort's a stalker, I thought. "I met him on my travels. I was a foolish boy, I was young and had these crazy ideas about good and evil. But Lord Voldemort showed me that I was mistaken. He told me that there was only power and those too weak to seek it...Since that day I have been a faithful servant to him, even though I have let him down and disappointed him on many occasions. He had to be hard on me," he shivered, and I didn't know whether I should feel sorry for him or not. "He does not forgive easily. When I couldn't steal the Stone from Gringotts, he punished me. Decided he should keep a closer eye on me..."

Harry looked ashamed with himself, and I didn't know why. Quirrell cursed. "I don't understand...Is the Stone in the mirror. Should I break it...?"

"Not unless you want seven years of bad luck," I said and Quirrell walked over to me. He stood over me and said, "I have had enough of your cheek and attitude, Miss Ride," his gaze wandered down to my broken leg. He must of saw that it was at an awkward angle because he kicked my leg. I screamed and closed my eyesand I heard Quirrell laugh. Harry shouted my name, and I opened my eyes. "I'm ok," I said weakly and Harry nodded, looking pale. Quirrell was once again pacing back and forth in front of the mirror.

Harry started moving. He was trying to get closer to the mirror without Quirrell noticing. The bounds around his ankles were too tight, and he tripped and fell over. In any other situation, I would of laughed. Quirrell ignored Harry and kept looking hungrily into the Mirror.

Quirrell started talking to himself again. "How does this Mirror work? Help me Master!"

To me and Harry's horror, a voice answered that seemed to be coming from Quirrell himself.

"Use the girl...Use the girl first..."

Quirrell rounded on me and with a wave of his wand, the ropes vanished. He walked over to me and pulled me into a standing position. I did my best to keep my weight off my bad leg as he dragged me over to the Mirror. I stepped in front of it and once again, I saw a smiling man with dark hair and grey eyes, and a blond woman with brown eyes. But this time there was a new person. A young boy, about two years old was clinging to the hand of his mother. The resemblance between the little boy and his father was frightening. _(AN It is not Ari, just saying) _I stared into the face of my brother, and my parents, and only looked away when Quirrell shook my shoulder.

"Well? What do you see girl?" he asked, and I didn't want to tell him what I really saw, so I said, "I've made it on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and we won the Quidditch Cup." Quirrell muttered something that sounded like, `useless freak'. I opened my mouth to retort, but I forgot about my broken leg and I put pressure on it. I bit into my lip to stop from screaming, and felt blood in my mouth from my lip. Quirrell pushed me out of way and I fell onto the floor.

He then made Harry's ropes disappear and dragged him in front of the Mirror. Harry closed his eyes and opened them again when he was in front of the Mirror. For a minute, Harry just looked scared. Then I noticed something that made my heart hammer in my chest.

Something just went into Harry's pocket. I don't know how I knew, but I knew it the Philosophers Stone. Quirrell looked impatient. "Well?" he snapped. "What do you see?"

Harry hesitated for a minute. He didn't have my amazing talent to think of any lie straight away. "I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I just won Gryffindor the House Cup," Harry said. I closed my eyes, hoping Quirrell would believe him. When I opened my eyes Quirrell was staring into the Mirror.

Then the high, cold voice talked again and I could of sworn it came from Quirrell, but his lips didn't meet. "He lies...He lies..."

"Potter! Tell me the truth, boy!" The cold voice spoke again, this time a little louder and stronger. "Let me talk to them...face to face..."

Quirrell went even paler (if that was even possible) and stuttered, "Master, you are not strong enough for that yet."

"I have strength for this Quirrell, now let me speak to them..." Harry looked like he was going to faint, and I bet I looked the same. I knew who was speaking, I knew who owned that cold voice, and I did not want to talk to him. I didn't know if Harry knew who was talking, but it looked like he was frozen to the spot.

"Harry," I whispered, but he continued to gaze at Quirrell. I looked at him, and saw him unwrapping his turban. I couldn't move, and even if I could I couldn't get very far.

The turban fell to the floor, and Quirrell's head was tiny without it. I didn't see why he had to take his turban off, but then I found out. Quirrell started turning around, on the back of Quirrell's head, was another face. This face was horrible. It was white as a sheet, and had red eyes, thin lips and it looked like he didn't have a nose...But as I looked closer, I saw slits like a snake where his nose should be.

"Harry Potter..." Voldemort wheezed. Harry looked like he wanted to scream, but couldn't. I felt like I had to be sick.

"See what I became after you...Harry?" Voldemort whispered. "A mere shadow...Forced to feed off unicorns and...live on another's body. But...once I have the Elixir of Life, I can have a body of my own. So why don't you give me the Stone in your pocket, Harry?"

Harry stumbled backwards, and Voldemort sneered. "Don't be stupid Harry. Better for you to join me and save your own life...or you'll meet the same end as your useless parents. They begged me for mercy..." Harry's face reddened and he shouted, "LIAR! My parents wouldn't beg mercy from you!"

Harry walked back to me, and helped me stand up. He noticed my leg, and kept a secure hand around my waist. Quirrell was walking towards us, but he was walking backwards so that Voldemort could still see us.

"How touching," Voldemort said, "true friendship...and true bravery in both of you...Your parents were fools like Potters, Maximum...Yes, Harry your parents were very brave...your father died first, and he put up a good fight, I'll give him that...But your mother didn't have to die...She tried to protect you Harry...Now give me the Stone..." Harry's hand tightened on my waist. He clenched his teeth and then shouted, "NEVER!"

I did my best to run with Harry, but I couldn't. With tears in my eyes, I felt Harry's hold on me loosen and I crashed to the floor. Harry yelled, "MAX!" And I felt arms lifting me up and a hand went around my neck. I didn't know what was happening, but I could fell blinding pain in my stomach, and heard Harry screaming my name, but I couldn't look down. I felt something warm on my arm, which was at my side, and I smelled blood.

Harry was shouting my name, and then Voldemort shouted over him, "Give me the Stone and I will let the girl live. If you refuse, she dies." I looked Harry in the eyes and tried telling him to run, to get away with the Stone and never let Voldemort get it. But Harry ignored me and walked slowly to Quirrell/Voldemort. I gasped as he pulled the blood-red stone from his jeans pocket and handed it to Quirrell. But as soon as Harry's skin touched Quirrell's, he screamed and dropped me and the Stone. As I fell, I caught the Stone and I saw Harry, holding his head in pain. I shouted, "Harry! Behind you!" as Quirrell advanced on Harry with his hands stretched out for Harry's throat.

Harry was too slow on my warning, and Quirrell's fingers closed around Harry's throat and they both crashed onto the floor. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and looked down for a second. There was blood on my blue shirt and when I looked at where I had been standing, I saw something silver on the floor.

A knife.

I looked back at Harry. He was yelling in agony, and as I watched, Harry raised his hands and put them on Quirrell's hands. Quirrell's skin began to blister. Getting an idea, Harry put his hands on Quirrell's face. Quirrell screamed, and Voldemort was screeching, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM YOU IDIOT!"

Quirrell rolled off Harry and covered his red face with his hands. Harry jumped to his feet and grabbed Quirrell's arm. My vision was getting obscured by black spots, but I kept watching, worrying about Harry. Quirrell was screaming in pain and was trying to throw Harry off his arm but Harry hung on tight. Harry was grimacing in pain, and I knew his scar must feel like it's burning. Voldemort continued shouting, "KILL HIM, THEN KILL HER!"

Harry looked like he was going to faint. I started screaming, "Harry! Harry!" Then Quirrell stopped screaming and he fell to the floor, but when I looked at him, he was nothing more then ashes. I looked back at Harry, who was sweating and looking at his hands. He looked down at me, and gave me a cute smile- wait, did I just say cute? I think it was the lose of blood...

I smiled back, but my smile dropped when I saw something behind rising up behind Harry. It looked like a big, black cloud, but it had Voldemort's face.

"HARRY!"

He turned around and the black cloud flew right through his chest. He screamed a terrible scream and fell to the dusty floor next to me. The black cloud disappeared through the wall, and I crawled painfully over to Harry. He was breathing, and his glassed were slightly askew. I fixed them, then held onto his hand.

**_Oh my God this chapter was long and I'm so tired! Was it good? Please please please review! I will love you so much if you reviewed! theres not a lot left in this story, but thy're 2nd year will start soon after i finish this one, promise! _**

**_remember to review! REVIEW!_**

**_Luv ya xxx_**

**_-Rach ;) xxx _**


	16. Start of a new Life

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Sorry it took me so long to update, but Fanfiction was confusing me, and thanks to PottersLittleSister for helping me! You should read her stories!_**

**_Now, heres the new chapter so enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

I held onto Harry's cold hand for hours, or maybe it was just minutes. Harry's face was bleeding from some cuts on his cheeks and his wrist was cut too. He looked really pale, but his chest was moving up and down slowly. I looked away from my friends face to the pile of ashes that was once Professor Quirrell. There was no sign of Voldemort, and for that I was glad. I still had the Stone clutched tight in my hand. I looked into the Mirror of Erised and once again saw my family. The little boy was laughing and his father picked him up and smiled at me. I didn't know whether to smile back or not.

I whirled around at the sound of fast footsteps and regretted it. I got dizzy and there were spots in my eyes. I blinked fast and looked up to see none other then Professor Dumbledore himself running- yes running- down the stone steps to Harry and me. He crouched down next to Harry, his normally sparkling eyes filled with concern.

"Max? Are you alright?" He asked and I nodded. "What happened?" I started explaining everything to him, and I expected him to angry that we broke school rules, but he didn't seem mad at all. "Is Harry going to be alright Professor?" I whispered, getting more dizzy with each second.

"I believe he will make a full recovery Miss Ride," Dumbledore said, moving his wand over Harry's lifeless form. His eyes flicked to me, and he said in a serious voice, "What about you Miss Ride? Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." My voice sounded slurred. Everything was going dark, and the last thing I felt was my head connecting to the hard, cold ground.

* * *

><p>I woke up felling warm and numb. I sat up and looked around. I was in the hospital wing. I looked at the bed next to me, and saw Fang, fast asleep. He had cuts on his face, and it looked like his arm was bandaged up, but otherwise he looked fine. I looked at the bed on the other side. The curtains were closed around that bed and I wondered who was in it.<p>

"Ah! Good your awake Miss Ride! Hows your stomach feeling?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she walked over to my bed. "I wouldn't know, I feel numb," I answered truthfully. Madam Pomfrey nodded happily and told me to relax for the day. Before she walked away, I called, "What happened to my stomach?"

She turned around. "You had some nasty cuts all around your stomach. Don't worry, your alright now, and there won't be any scars left, Miss Ride." I relaxed against the pillows and fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later and I heard hushed voices from the bed next to mine. I looked over and saw Dumbledore sitting on the bed, and Harry was propped up on some pillows, looking very confused, but perfectly alright with only small cuts. Dumbledore was saying, " Yes, James left in my possession before he died. I gave it his son, as the Potter family have been doing for generations." His eyes were twinkling happily. None of them seemed to notice that I was listening.

Harry nodded and said, "I heard that Snape hates me because he hated my dad. Is that true Professor?"

"Why, yes. They did dislike each other, and it reminds me of yourself and Mr Malfoy. But your father did something Severus can never forgive him for."

"What was it?" Harry looked so eager to learn something about the parents he never knew, that I couldn't help feel pity for him.

"James saved his life," Dumbledore said, and it was silent for a few seconds before Harry muttered, "He saved...He saved his life...And he still hated him after he saved him"

"Yes, weird how people work like that. Severus couldn't stand of being in your fathers debt, and I think the reason he tried hard to protect you this year was to pay off his debt to your father. Now, he believes he can happily return to hating your fathers memory." I had to stop myself from snickering. That was the weirdest sentence ever to come out of the Headmasters mouth.

"Sir, could I ask you one more thing...?" Harry muttered.

"Of course Harry, ask away,"

"How did I get the Stone when Quirrell couldn't?"

"Ah, yes that was one of my brilliant ideas. If you wanted to find the Stone and use it, you could not get it. But if you wanted it and not use it, you would be able to get it. Now, Harry I must be off, and you should rest." Dumbledore stood up and walked to the end of the bed. There were a lot of sweets and cards and as I watched, Dumbledore picked up the box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He told Harry how he got a vomit-flavoured one when he was younger, and hadn't eaten them since.

He pulled out one that might of been toffee and chewed it softly. He choked and said, "Earwax!"

On the night of the End of Year Feast, Madam Pomfrey had let Harry, Fang and I leave the hospital wing. The cuts on my stomach were healed and there wasn't even a scar. Harry was fine and Fang seemed unusually happy as we made our way to the Great Hall. Hagrid had come in the day before, sobbing about how it was his fault. When he got control over himself, he gave Harry a beautiful photo album full of pictures of his parents.

When we arrived in the Great Hall, it was full. We found seats next to Ron and Hermione. Ron hadn't been hurt as bad as Fang, so Ron was let out ages ago. The Hall was decorated in the Slytherin colors, green and silver for the celebration of Slytherin winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row.

A few minutes later, Dumbledore stood up and spread his arms wide.

"Another year has come and gone. And what a year this one has been! I do hope all of your heads are a little more fuller then they were, and you all have the summer to empty them again! As I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding, and the places stand thus; in fourth place, is Gryffindor with three hundred and twelve points," there was small, sad applause from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, while everyone at the Slytherin table were beaming.

"In third place," continued Dumbledore, "is Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty points." More sad applause, and the Slytherins looked like they wanted to start dancing. "In second, Ravenclaw with four hundred and twenty-six. Which means that the House Cup goes once again to Slytherin house with four hundred and seventy-two points."

The Slytherins started jumping up and down, screaming and laughing. I turned to Ron and whispered, "You'd think they'd be used to it by now, don't you?" he gave me a sad smile and looked at his empty plate, hoping to eat then leave.

I looked back at the Slytherins who were still cheering. It was sickening.

Dumbledore held up his hands again and said, "Yes, well done to Slytherin. But recent events must be taken into account." Everyone in the Hall fell silent, even Slytherin. Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I believe there are some last-minute points are to be awarded.

"First, Mr Ronald Weasley, for the best game of chess this school has ever seen. I award Gryffindor house twenty points." Gryffindor table burst into cheers, and after a few moments, fell silent once more. Dumbledore cleared his throat again and he had a small smile on his face.

"To Mr Fang Martinez, for seeing that when he had to, willingly risked himself to help others. Another twenty points to Gryffindor." I was shocked. Fang was actually blushing, and he was smiling at the old Headmaster. Ron still looked like he was in shock.

"Third, to Mr Iggy Griffiths, for doing what he could to help his friends when they were hurt, and using his intellect to do so. Gryffindor house gets another twenty points. And next to Miss Hermione Granger, for her cool use of intelligence and logic in the face of danger, I give another twenty points."

Gryffindors were screaming and clapping and stamping they're feet. Dumbledore asked for silence, and said, "Next to Miss Maximum Ride, for her bravery and loyalty to her friends,a and her desire to keep them from any harm, Gryffindor house gets thirty points."

I felt my face heat up and smiled shyly. Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were standing up and cheering. Slytherins looked murderous. Finally Dumbledore said, "And last, to Mr Harry Potter. For pure nerve and outstanding courage, Gryffindor house gets fifty-five points."

The noise in the Hall was enough to wake the dead. I started laughing, and pointed at Malfoy. He looked horrified, and he couldn't move a muscle. Gryffindor had won the House cup for the first time in seven years.

"This means we should change the decorations!" called Dumbledore happily and he clapped his hands. The green and silver of Slytherin were replaced with the red and scarlet of Gryffindor, and the Gryffindor lion.

This was the best night of my night.

* * *

><p>We woke up early the next morning and we packed our trunks. I shut Freedom in his cage, promising to let him out as soon as possible. I pulled on Muggle clothes, and put my wand into the waist-band of my jeans. We got our test results last night after the feast. I passed everything with top marks, but not as good as Hermione.<p>

After breakfast, we got our trunks and made our way to the Hogwarts Express. Me, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Fang and Iggy found a compartment to ourselves, and for the whole journey, just talked and laughed and ate sweets. We pulled into Kings Cross Station far too fast for my liking. Ron said he would go find his family so we could leave, and Harry and Hermione were craning they're necks to see they're own families.

As we walked slowly, people called out to us, saying goodbyes, but mostly just to Harry. I saw him looking at an extremely fat man with no neck and a moustache standing next to a thin woman that resembled a horse, and a fat boy around our age with blond hair flat on his fat head.

I saw Ron leading Mrs Weasley over to us, holding Angel's hand. Behind her was Nudge, Gazzy and a small redheaded girl that must be Ginny, Ron's younger sister. I got attacked by hugs from everyone, and when I finally had space to breath, Mrs Weasley was talking to the Dursleys.

"So your Harry's relatives?" she asked, bouncing Angel on her hip, who was eyeing Mr Dursley with an evil look I didn't know a three-year old could do. "If you say so," Mr Dursley grunted. "Come on boy, we don't have all bloody day!" he barked at Harry. We all gave Harry hugs, and we promised to write. Ron said he should stay over for the summer, and Mrs Weasley agreed.

We watched as the Dursley's and Harry walked away, then Mrs Weasley led us out to the car park. We saw a small blue Ford Anglia and sitting behind it was a red haired man that was Ron's father.

We went into the car, and took off for our new home.

**_Hey! This story isn't over yet, theres one more chapter until I start on year 2. there might be a bit of a gap between this and year 2, but hopfully it will be a short one. What was the chapter like? PLEASE REVIEW!_**

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**_And thanks to Leo for all the amazing reviews! You are awesome! xxx_**

**_ -Rach ;)_**


	17. Epilogue: New Sight

**_AUTHORS NOTE_**

**_Hey, sorry it took so long, I've been getting ready for school and just really busy._**

**_This is the last chapter for Year 1, so keep a look out for Don't think, Just do it: Year 2._**

**_I don't know when I'm going to be able to start year 2, but hopefully it will be soon. If this story sucked and if my writing is bad, sorry. I'll try and improve it. _**

**_This chapter, I hope, is going to be very heart-warming. _**

**_Enjoy :)_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

We've been at The Burrow for a few days. It was the weirdest, yet the most wonderful house I have ever seen. It was several stories high, and it was so unstable looking, I'm guessing it was only held up with magic. It had at least five chimneys and the garden was huge and cluttered with chickens and plants. There was a pair of wellington boots outside the door, and a shed full of brooms sticks. Mr Weasley, a tall balding man, who was very kind, had his own shed full of Muggle objects he took from work. Mr Weasley worked in the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office.

There was a lot of space at the back where the Weasley's used to play Quidditch. The flock used it as flying and fighting practice. The Weasley's youngest child, Ginny, was a year younger then us, and she watched us and I even showed her how to do some simple fight moves. Ginny, who was quiet at first, was very funny and smart and great at Quidditch. She wouldn't play in front of anyone but me, and I got to play as well. Fred and George kept saying that I would be a great Chaser. Ginny and Nudge got along great, but me and Ginny were closer.

A few days into the summer holidays, we were all outside, de-gnoming the garden, and Mrs Weasley came out. I was after throwing a gnome over the hedge and Fred and George were cheering at how far it went. Mrs Weasley stood next to Fang, who was wearing his usual black, and started inspecting the garden.

The gnomes were small, and fat and reminded me of Santa Claus. When she was satisfied, her kind face turned serious.

"Kids, I have some exiting news. I'm going to talk Iggy to London-" before she could continue, Gazzy said, "Why does Iggy have to go to London? Why can't we go too?"

I was about to say the same thing. Why did Iggy have to go to London?

"Well, I was thinking over the last few days. There's a magical hospital in London, and I think they might be able to fix Iggy's sight."

There was a stunned silence. Iggy had lived most of his life without sight. I don't even know if he remembers what it was like to see. Iggy looked like he didn't believe what was happening. I didn't believe it either.

"W-what? They could do that?" Iggy spluttered. Mrs Weasley nodded and said, "Most likely. When would you like to leave, sweetheart?" Iggy looked like he was going to faint. He was pale, but excited. "Right now, Mrs Weasley. If you don't mind," Iggy said.

Iggy may have been a dumbass sometimes, but he could be a charmer when he wanted. Mrs Weasley smiled and said, "I told you a million times, call me Molly. Now, when your ready, I'll call the Knight Bus." She was always telling us to call her Molly, but we just didn't fell comfortable. Iggy was bouncing us and down with excitement and he said, "Well, I'm ready now!"

Mrs Weasley chuckled and said, "Yes, well I'm not, sweetheart. We'll leave in about twenty minutes, alright?" Iggy nodded and beamed at us as Mrs Weasley walked back towards the house. We all rushed and hugged Iggy. This was the happiest I have seen him in a while.

But I was worried about one thing. If the Healers at couldn't fix Iggy's sight, and he had his hopes up, what would happen to him? He would be heart-broken, and he wouldn't be the same. We spent the next few minutes talking to Iggy about what it would be like for him. I was amazed by how understanding the Weasleys were towards him being blind.

Mrs Weasley came bustling down the garden a few moments later, and Iggy was beaming. We bid them goodbye and I watched them leaving The Burrow. I just hope Iggy would be happy when he came back home.

**_Iggy's POV_**

Me and Mrs Weasley walked down to the village and when I sensed Mrs Weasley stopping, I stopped too so I wouldn't bang into her. After a few seconds I heard a huge **bang! **Mrs Weasley placed her hand gently on my elbow and directed me onto what I realised was a bus. She kept her hand on my elbow and I heard her talking to someone.

"Fourteen Sickles, Ma'am. Thank you," a young man said. I heard the rustling of money, and Mrs Weasley said, "Here you are Stan. Thank you very much."

She towed me toward a seat and we sat down. The bus lurched forward so violently I nearly fell out of my seat. The bus was going really fast, and I felt sick. I wished I could see the scenery that would be flying past the window. It took me quit a bit longer to get my way around The Burrow then it did anywhere else, but that was only because the house was so cluttered.

I was really excited, thinking about how I might be my sight back, but I was also trying not to get my hopes up in case the Healers wouldn't be able to fix my eye sight. I didn't know how long the bus ride lasted, but before I knew it, Mrs Weasley was saying, "Here we are Iggy. Up you get." I walked off the bus by myself this time, remembering the way from before.

We stepped off the bus onto a busy London street. I started feeling claustrophobic and grabbed onto Mrs Weasley's hand. She tightened her hold, and we started walking. We walked for about ten minutes before I felt the air shifting and heard fifty different sounds all together. "Welcome to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, ,sweetheart. Now, we'll just go over to the reception desk..." Mrs Weasley trailed off and we reached the desk. I expected to be able to smell antiseptic, but I was surprised when the hospital smelled like different types of flowers. Mrs Weasley asked the woman at reception what floor to go on, and she told us to go to the third floor.

I was feeling nervous now, and more claustrophobic by the minute. We reached the third floor and waited until our names were called. "Hello, Healer Smethwyck. I'm here to inquire about Iggy Griffiths here. He's been blind for a good few years and I was wondering if there was anything you could do about it," Mrs Weasley said as we went into the hospital room.

"Yes, Miss. I'll take a look at young Mr Griffiths. Now, how did you become blind, young man?" I squirmed uncomfortably at the question. I never liked talking about the School, none of the flock did. But, I always seemed to be the worst, because of the blindness.

"Um...I was put under an experiment and it left me blind," I mumbled. I could fell him staring at me, and wondered if they knew about the School. I was guided over to a bed and the Healer started doing tests. He made me drink different potions that all tasted like he found them on the ground. I was sitting on that bed for about half an hour before Healer Smethwyck said, "Mrs Weasley, may I speak to you in the hall?" Mrs Weasley obliged and they left the room.

I started to panic. What if they couldn't fix my eyesight? I was looking forward to being able to see, and if they couldn't, I don't know what I'd do... Mrs Weasley and Healer Smethwyck came back into the room a few minutes later and Smethwyck said, "Iggy, I have good news, and some bad news."

I waited with batted breath for him to continue. He sure took his time. He took a deep breath and said, "I will be able to fix your eyesight, and all you have to do is drink a potion. But the bad news is that it will be very painful. If you don't mind me asking, how old were you when you lost your sight?"

"I was six years old," I said straight away. I would always remember that day.

"Alright, Mr Griffiths. I'm warning you it will be painful. Are you ready?" I nodded. As long as I could see, I didn't care. I heard Smethwyck bustling around making the potion and Mrs Weasley put her hand on my shoulder. Mrs Weasley was amazing. She was the closest thing to a mother we have ever had, and she was doing whatever she could to make the flock happy.

I heard Smethwyck coming over to us, and he placed a warm bottle into my sensitive hands. I hesitated for a few seconds, then swallowed the whole thing in one gulp.

I cried out and dropped the bottle. My head felt like it was going to explode. My eyes were watering and all I could see was different colors. I could hear Mrs Weasley and Smethwyck calling out to me, but I couldn't say anything. I was clutching my head in pain and there were tears streaming down my eyes.

It went on for what felt like hours, or maybe it was only minutes. When I felt the pain easing away, I let go of my head. I noticed that I was on the floor. I must of fallen off the bed...

"Iggy? Are you alright darling?" Mrs Weasley asked. "Yeah," I said. My voice was hoarse.

"Son, open your eyes," Smethwyck said. I took a few breaths and slowly opened my eyes.

Freaking unbelievable.

_I could see. _

The room was big and the walls were white. I looked down at my hands and smiled. I could see my hands. I looked around at Mrs Weasley. She was a plump, kind faced, red haired woman, and when she saw me looking right at her, she beamed and there were tears in her eyes. Smethwych was a tall, happy looking man who was making notes with a quill.

I stood up slowly and Mrs Weasley hugged me. I started laughing and hugged her back. I couldn't get enough of seeing everything. When Mrs Weasley let go of me, Smethwych came over and did a few more tests. I couldn't stop smiling, and when Smethwych said we could go, I shook his hand and said "Thank you," about fifty times. He laughed and told me to come back in a few weeks for a check up.

We left the room and strolled down the stairs. Everything was so bright and colorful and amazing. My cheeks were sore from smiling. We passed a mirror in the hall and I stopped to look at myself. I hadn't seen my own reflection since I was six.

My strawberry blond hair was messy and shaggy looking. My eyes were light blue, but there was life in them. They were eyes that could see everything. I smiled and followed Mrs Wesaley down to the lobby of St. Mungo's.

**_Max's POV_**

We were having dinner by the dinner Mrs Weasley and Iggy walked through the back door. Both of them had straight faces and Iggy was wearing sunglasses, even though it wasn't that sunny. Percy, who was sitting on my left, asked, "How did it go Mother? Did Iggy get his sight back?"

Iggy sat down in his normal seat in between Fang and Ron without a word and he kept his glasses on. Fang looked at me with a frown and I shrugged. Mr Weasley looked upset, and was staring at Mrs Weasley.

Out of nowhere, Mrs Weasley and Iggy both burst out laughing. We all stayed quiet, staring at each other in confusion. "Um...Whats going on?" Ginny asked from my right. Iggy took his sunglasses off and said, "Well, young red head with red brown eyes, whos wearing a blue shirt and dark jeans-" before he could continue, Fred and George both shouted, "HE CAN SEE!"

Iggy laughed and nodded and everyone started cheering. I looked into his eyes and noticed they were a shade darker then before. Mrs Weasley moved the tables out into the garden, and we finished our dinner there, and had a bit of a party. I felt so happy for Iggy, and he was the happiest I have ever seen him.

I looked around at the flock. Fred and George were playing with Angel, who had her wings out, and they were all laughing. Nudge was talking to Ginny and Mr Weasley about Muggle things, like televisions and computers. Fang, Iggy and Percy were arguing about Quidditch. Percy was saying it was a waste of time and Fang and Iggy were saying how amazing it was. Now that Iggy could see, he might try out for the team...

Mrs Weasley was cleaning the table, and I went to help her. "Thank you, Mrs Weasley. Everything was amazing, and thank you for helping Iggy. It means a lot to me that he's happy," I said as I brought some plates into the house.

"Its alright, dear. The six of you are like family now, and we always help family. Now go outside and enjoy the rest of the night. I'll clear up the rest," she said, pulling out her wand and making the dishes wash themselves. I went into the garden and smiled at my family.

Everyone here was my family,and I wouldn't want it any other way.

**_Hey, sorry thats it crap, but I'm tired. Anyway, tell me what you think, and Year 2 will start soon, I promise., I just don't know when. If you wanna read it, keep an eye out for Dont think just do it:Year2._**

**_Now, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed on the this story. It was my first and I really appreciate it. Thank you soooooo much!_**

**_And thanks to LeoDaLion, for just being pure awesome!_**

**_Please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_Thank you xxx_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_ xx 3 luv u xx_**


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